Indonesia forest fires may become worst on record

But in more bad news, the worst of the smog shrouding the region could be yet to come. Herry Purnomo, a haze expert at the Indonesia-based Centre for International Forestry Research, said the dry season was not expected to peak in Sumatra until next month, when more smoke was predicted. “It’s not over yet,” he said, adding the economic cost of the “horrendous” fires would be as bad as 1997.