Smoke from forest fires on Indonesia's island of Sumatra began wafting over several southern Thai provinces, sparking fears that an environmental disaster similar to the one that occurred in the region several years ago may be looming. The smoke, which originated from blazes used by farmers to clear land, has also spread to western Borneo and Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, Authorities in Indonesia's Kalimantan province have begun issuing face masks to residents as a precaution against respiratory distress caused by the returning pall.