Forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra threaten to repeat a 1997 disaster, with choking smoke blanketing three million square kilometres across South-East Asia. Satellite images show that 200 to 300 fires are burning in the Indonesian province of Riau, creating smog levels of more than 300 on the air pollutant standard index. A reading above 200 is regarded as hazardous.In Jakarta, the Environment Minister, Mr Sonny Keraf, has called an urgent meeting of Government officials to plan emergency action to try to head off a repeat of the 1997 disaster.