NASA warns that the forest fires currently raging in southeastern Asia could become the worst such blaze in recorded history. The fires began weeks ago, and cover large areas of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
The fires were caused by illegal attempts to clear peatlands and plantations. The haze has already severely harmed crops in Malaysia and Singapore is looking into taking legal action against the responsible companies.
The previous record-holder was in 1997, and caused $9 billion in damage.