Serian smoke emergency ends, but air quality is still unhealthy at 222

On Friday, the air in Serian, Malaysia, became so dirty that the government closed 647 schools and declared an emergency. The pollution score passed 500, the level for an emergency. By Monday, rain had helped clean the air, and King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar ended the order. But officials warn that the danger is not over.

The smoke came from forest fires and peat fires in Indonesia. Peat is a type of ground that can burn. This year, dry weather made the fires worse. Some farmers burn land because it is a cheap way to clear fields for farming. The smoke also reached Brunei, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Indonesian police arrested 112 people suspected of starting fires in 10 provinces. The government also took away the permits of five companies because of fires on their land. Indonesia used firefighting teams and cloud seeding to try to make rain.

Rain came on Friday night and Saturday morning. By Monday, Serian's score had fallen to 222, below the emergency level. Still, the Prime Minister's Office said the air in several areas, especially Serian and Samarahan, was still very unhealthy. Officials will keep watching the conditions, and people are advised to limit their time outside. The emergency may be over, but the smoke from Indonesia is still a health problem.