Fire near Indonesia’s Mount Bromo extinguished, but new hotspots emerge

A fire at Indonesia's Mount Bromo National Park has been extinguished, though new hotspots have emerged near the caldera, according to an official. The blaze, which started on August 3 and scorched 550 hectares, has now been fully subdued, reported Gatot Soebroto, head of the local disaster mitigation agency. Yet, authorities discovered additional fires covering approximately 20 hectares surrounding the caldera.

Mount Bromo, a prominent tourist attraction and known for its striking sand sea caldera, resides within the park, which spans over 50,000 hectares.

Over 120 personnel, including three water-bombing helicopters, drones, and fire trucks, have been deployed to combat the lingering fires. Authorities are still probing the origin of the fire, but Gatot hinted that it might have been sparked by human negligence. He explained that a person reportedly lit a fire, extinguished it, only for the flames to reignite later.

This conclusion was reached because the initial spark was traced along a frequently used route by park visitors. The national park has been under a closure order since Saturday evening due to the fires, with no reported casualties.