Vast Forest Fires in Indonesia Spawn Ecological Disaster

Vast Forest Fires in Indonesia Spawn Ecological Disaster
Rangers and fire fighters patrol an area affected by forest fires in Kampar, Riau province, Indonesia, on Nov. 10, 2015. AP Photo/Rony Muharrman
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KAMPAR, Indonesia—For farmer Achmad Rusli, it was a season of smoke: Ten weeks without sunlight for his oranges, guavas, and durians, thanks to deliberately set forest fires that burned a chunk of Indonesia the size of New Jersey.

The fires have finally died down with the arrival of monsoon rains, but too late for his crops, which are far too measly to sell.