120928 Smoke shuts down Jambi airport
Indonesia Sep 28 2012 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Web Source: The Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/search?search_words=blaze
Date: 30 September, 2012
Country: Indonesia
Smoke shuts down Jambi airport
Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post, Jambi | Archipelago | Sun, September 30 2012, 9:05 PM
Haze caused by fires in Sumatran forests forced authorities to shut down Sultan Thaha airport in Jambi on Sunday. The airport will remain closed until Oct. 7.
On Sunday morning, the white haze blanketed most areas of Jambi and reduced visibility to less than 500 meters. At 10 a.m., the increased to 1,800 meters, but the airport authority decided to close the facility as thick haze might descend again at any time.
Jambi and other areas in Sumatra have suffered from thick smoke caused by wildfires, despite measures put out the blazes. In Jambi province, 186 hot spots were reported on Saturday. In South Sumatra, there were at least 1,052 hot spots.
Jambi administration and management of Berbak National Park have attempted to create artificial rain to manage the fires. However, the burning area was too large, covering some 70 hectares of lands in the park.
The smoke has disrupted flights and created respiratory problems for residents. The Jambi administration has distributed masks to minimize exposure to the smoke. (lfr)