Forest and land fires shroud Indonesia’s Nabire in thick haze, disrupt flights

Forest and land fires in Nabire, Central Papua, Indonesia, have blanketed the city in thick haze over the past three days, sharply reducing visibility, disrupting activities and raising health concerns as authorities battle fires near residential areas and an airport runway.

Visibility on some roads has fallen to about 50 to 70 metres, with objects at that distance becoming difficult to see through the dense smoke, according to local media reports on Monday.

Fires have been reported at several locations across Nabire, with some of the worst-hit areas in Yaro district, West Nabire district towards the airport, and Waroki village. The fires have spread towards residential areas and in the direction of the runway at Douw Aturure Airport.

Fires spread during prolonged dry season

The fires began on the afternoon of 20 August, according to Kompas.com, amid a dry season that has lasted for months in Nabire, leaving trees, vegetation and shrubs extremely dry and vulnerable to fire.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) recorded 113 hotspots in the area and identified forest fires as the source of the haze.

Nabire Deputy Regent Burhanuddin Pawennari said the forest fires were suspected to have been caused by land-clearing activities for plantations.

Firefighters from Central Papua province, together with personnel from the Indonesian Military and National Police, have been working to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading further.

Their efforts are currently focused on fire locations close to residential areas, including Waroki village, Samabusa village and the Wanggar area in West Nabire.

Authorities distribute 60,000 masks

As air quality deteriorates, the Central Papua Health Office has deployed personnel to several roads to distribute masks free of charge to residents.

At least 60,000 masks have been prepared as a preventive measure aimed at reducing the risk of a rise in cases of acute respiratory infections, known in Indonesia as ISPA.

Malik, head of the Programme and Planning Subdivision at the Central Papua Health Office, said health officials were distributing the masks directly on the streets to ensure residents actually used them while carrying out activities outdoors.

The early protective measure is considered crucial to help residents avoid respiratory illnesses while the adverse weather and smoke persist.

Flights disrupted by smoke

The thick haze also disrupted operations at Douw Aturure Airport in Nabire, where flight operations were completely halted on Friday, 21 August, from 3.30 p.m. local time.

Several flights from Nabire Airport were cancelled on Friday because of the sharp decline in visibility, Kompas.com reported. The fires had spread close to the airport area, while smoke from the blazes further affected visibility.

Airport authorities later said visibility had gradually improved, allowing flight operations to return to normal on Saturday.

Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and continue wearing protective masks while the haze has yet to fully clear.