MALANG, East Java: Indonesian authorities on Friday (Aug 7) battled to contain a wildfire that has swept through Mount Bromo National Park on Java island, destroying more than 120 hectares as the country braces itself for an extreme El Nino-fuelled dry season.
The fire started on Monday near Mount Bromo in East Java, one of Indonesia’s most visited tourist destinations but now closed until further notice.
Local authorities deployed two water-bombing helicopters against the flames that have razed at least 127 hectares of the national park land to date, fire official Bambang Setyo Antoko told AFP.
The destroyed area is equivalent to about 180 soccer fields.
“We’re very dependent on wind conditions,” Bambang said of the firefighting effort ahead.
National park official Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha said the area on fire was in a steep, cliffside region, making it difficult for firefighters to reach.
It was not known how the fire started, but Bambang said the park was extremely dry as El Nino conditions take root in Indonesia.
Mount Bromo, famed for its volcanic scenery, previously caught fire in 2023.
That blaze broke out when a couple lit a flare during a pre-wedding photo shoot and destroyed more than 500 hectares of land.
