Indonesian fire fighter caught using small, watering can to put out the flames

If the fire had been a pot of basil on a kitchen windowsill, the worker might have been hailed as a hero.

For residents in Malaysia and Singapore, however, the consequences are hardly amusing. 

Singapore rolled out subsidies for haze-related medical treatment on Monday, and schools were closed in parts of Malaysia, as both countries grapple with persistently unhealthy air quality. 

The fires have created severe haze locally, with tens of thousands of cases of respiratory illnesses. 

In Malaysia, schools reopened Monday in most areas as air quality improved slightly, but remained closed across Johor and parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. 

The transboundary haze has also disrupted regional travel. Malaysian low-cost carrier Firefly cancelled flights between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang and Singapore’s Seletar Airport from Saturday to Monday as a “precautionary safety measure”, the airline said.

Of course, one worker with a watering can does not prove that Indonesia’s entire firefighting operation consists of improvised gardening equipment.

But the man is symbolic of everyone’s perception towards the efforts undertaken by Indonesia to control the flames.—Oct 13, 2026

Main image: @update11111 (X)