Forest Fire Smoke Closes Indonesian Airports - Visibility 100 Meters

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MUSI BANYUASIN, Indonesia (Reuters) - Thick smoke from forest fires in Indonesia has shut airports and slashed visibility to below 100 meters (330 ft) -- and there is no respite in sight, officials said on Wednesday.

The fires have been raging for weeks, spreading smoke across much of Southeast Asia and triggering fears of a repeat of the environmental disaster in 1997-98 when dry conditions linked to the El Nino weather pattern caused a choking haze that cost the region billions of dollars in economic losses. Jakarta has appealed for funds and equipment from neighbors Singapore and Malaysia, which have also suffered from the haze coming primarily from the Indonesian provinces on Sumatra and Borneo islands.

At Sultan Thaha airport in Sumatra's Jambi province, all flights were canceled this week. "It is not possible (to fly) at the moment. The visibility is terribly limited. The minimum should be 1,800 to 2,000 meters. Now, it is under 100 meters," airport head Basuki Mardiyanto told Reuters.

Mardiyanto is not counting on anything but the onset of heavy rain when the dry season ends to resolve the problem. Indonesia's six-month rainy season usually starts in October but it may come late this year in many areas or has started with only low intensity in others.

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