Smoke from nearby forest fires forces 4-hour closure of airport for Honduras' capital

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The main airport for Honduras' capital has been closed for several hours because smoke from forest fires reduced visibility.

Civil aviation agency spokesman Ezequiel Oliva says visibility fell to about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) during the closure Saturday.

The Toncontin airport outside Tegucigalpa was closed for about four hours, affecting about 500 passengers.

Almost a hundred fires have burned in the pine-covered hills around the capital this week. Four such closures have affected Toncontin and two other airports in the space of a month.