Indonesia steps up fire response as haze blankets Singapore
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Six Indonesian provinces have declared states of emergency as forest fires blanket a swath of Southeast Asia in a smoky haze.
Singapore's air quality deteriorated to unhealthy levels on Friday as winds blew smoke from fires on Sumatra across the city-state and southern Malaysia.
The number of hotspots detected by weather satellites has increased in the past month though they are below levels last year when massive fires caused a regional crisis.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency says six provinces have declared emergency, allowing firefighting measures to go into full effect.
Many of the fires are deliberately set by agricultural conglomerates and small-time farmers to clear forests and peatland for plantations.
Last year's fires were the worst since 1997, with about 261,000 hectares (2,610 square kilometers) burned.