Wildfire in Indonesian national park grows

Jakarta, Indonesia (AP) — The Indonesian government has deployed airplanes and thousands of firefighters to combat a rapidly spreading wildfire in a popular national park, part of a series of blazes occurring during an unusually arid season. The most significant fire this week has consumed approximately 176 hectares (435 acres) of Mount Bromo, situated within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, one of Indonesia's most frequented tourist spots.

The park was shut down to visitors on Saturday, with park chief Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha announcing that the closure would remain in place until further notice. Efforts to contain the flames involve hundreds of firefighters, disaster management teams, police, military personnel, park rangers, and volunteers. Helicopters and drones have been utilized to aid the firefight, while crews have constructed firebreaks to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Nugraha noted that the challenging terrain, including steep volcanic slopes, has complicated the firefighting operations. The Bromo fire coincides with a surge in wildfires across Indonesia during an unprecedentedly dry season. A forest and land fire erupted in Central Java's Banyumas Regency on Friday, sparked by land-clearing activities and swiftly expanding due to the dry conditions.

In West Java, a fire ignited in the Suryakencana Meadow area of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, a favored hiking location, leading to the temporary suspension of hiking trails to Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango. Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency reported that strong winds and exceptionally dry vegetation are fueling the rapid spread of fires.

The El Niño weather phenomenon, coupled with seasonal dry winds from Australia, has heightened the risk of fires throughout the country. Forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo islands frequently ignite during dry spells, often set deliberately by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting, occasionally blanketing portions of Southeast Asia in perilous haze.