Kalimantan's Orange-Tinted Sky Looks Like Another Planet as API Climbs Above 1,200

Residents in Kalimantan, Indonesia, were alarmed after the sky turned an eerie shade of orange amid ongoing forest fires in the region.

In a video shared on Threads, a woman living in Palangka Raya, the capital and largest city of Central Kalimantan, captured the unusual phenomenon, with her entire neighbourhood bathed in an orange glow.

According to the post's caption, the footage was recorded yesterday (14 October) at around 11 AM local time.

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Responding to comments from other users, the woman, known only by her username @firda_6697, said the weather did not feel particularly hot, but the air became suffocating whenever she opened her door.

"It's actually not that hot, but it's suffocating. Every time we open our doors, the air we breathe is really unhealthy, and the smell of the smoke hits you immediately."

She also shared that she had been experiencing headaches and difficulty breathing since the previous night.

Meanwhile, another video circulating on social media captured the same orange-tinted skies, this time over a more urban part of the city.

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Indonesia facing its worst forest fires in 11 years

Image Credit: NST

According to a report by Astro Awani, the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Kalimantan has surpassed 1,200, four times higher than the hazardous threshold of 300.

The fires have reportedly affected approximately 57,081 hectares of land, equivalent to 570.81 square kilometres. To put that into perspective, the affected area is more than half the size of Perlis, Malaysia's smallest state.

Environmental and Occupational Health expert Professor Dr Halisa Abdul Rahman said fluctuating API readings across different areas were largely influenced by changing wind patterns, particularly when smoke from fire sites was carried towards populated regions.

"Besides affecting air quality, forest and peatland fires also release carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change and threatening ecosystem balance," she said.

Meanwhile, as of Monday, a total of 60 cloud-seeding flights had been conducted nationwide to combat dry conditions and reduce the impact of the haze.

According to Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, the operations achieved a success rate of more than 90% in producing rainfall over targeted areas.

Despite the worsening situation, Indonesia has indicated that the fires remain manageable. Earlier this week, the country said it appreciated Malaysia's offer of assistance but believed it could still handle the situation with its existing resources and firefighting efforts.

Featured Image Credit: @firda_6697 | Threads