Indonesia closes national park as wildfire spreads

Indonesian authorities have sealed off a national park on Java Island due to a persistent wildfire that has been raging for nearly a week. The blaze has consumed 176 hectares (435 acres) since it started on Monday in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, located near the popular tourist destination of Mount Bromo in East Java.

Visitors were barred from entering the park late Saturday and remain barred as of Sunday, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari. No injuries or property damage have been reported. Two water-bombing helicopters have been deployed to combat the fire in hard-to-reach areas characterized by steep slopes and strong winds.

In 2023, a blaze on Mount Bromo destroyed over 500 hectares of land when a couple lit a flare during a pre-wedding photo shoot. Indonesia is forecast to face an intensified and prolonged dry season this year, driven in part by the El Nino weather pattern, which typically results in drier conditions in Southeast Asia and India.