FOREST FIRE RAVAGES INDONESIA'S BROMO TENGGER SEMERU NATIONAL PARK

JAKARTA, June 24 (Bernama) -- A forest fire has ravaged at least 50 hectares of land in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java since June 18, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said.

Evacuation efforts and protective measures for nearby residents of Mount Batok in Tosari, Pasuruan district have been successfully implemented with no casualties reported.

“Smoke plumes are still visible on the west side of Mount Batok, but the fire is now under control,” the agency spokesperson Abdul Muhairi stated in a statement Monday.

He confirmed that no hotspots for Mount Batok have been detected on the ‘SiPongi’ website that serves as Indonesia’s primary source for forest and land fire information, indicating a reduction in fire activity.

A combined firefighting team is also actively patrolling the area to monitor fire conditions and prevent the emergence of new hotspots.

Authorities are currently investigating to determine whether the fire’s cause was natural or human-made.

Abdul Muhairi attributed the fire’s rapid spread to the prolonged dry season, which has affected several areas including Mororejo, Podokoyo, and Kandangsari since it began around 5.30 pm local time.

Indonesia, which frequently experiences recurring droughts leading to forest and land fires each year, has seen a significant decrease in such incidents despite exacerbated El Niño effects and exceptionally dry conditions in 2023.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, there has been a 31 per cent reduction in forest and land fires compared to 2019.

-- BERNAMA