Indonesia battles growing wildfires as Mount Bromo blaze spreads

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia intensified efforts Monday to combat a growing number of wildfires across the archipelago, deploying helicopters, hundreds of firefighters and disaster personnel as blazes spread through a popular national park in East Java and peatlands in Sumatra during an unusually dry season, officials said.

East Java authorities said the largest blaze is burning in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province, where about 743 hectares (1,836 acres) have been scorched.

Dry weather and strengthening El Nino conditions raised the risk of more forest and land fires during the peak dry season, Indonesia's Forestry Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

It said the fire has burned large areas of dry grassland, vegetation and protected edelweiss flowers as flames have spread to the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint for tourists visiting Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia's best-known attractions. No injuries or evacuations have been reported.

Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, police officers, park rangers and volunteers worked to contain the blaze. Authorities have closed the park to visitors until further notice.

As of Monday, at least three helicopters have been deployed for water-bombing operations over hot spots that are difficult to reach by land. Ground crews are carrying out manual firefighting, cooling operations, patrols and constructing firebreaks to prevent the flames from spreading further.

“We continue to coordinate efforts to address and anticipate forest and land fires,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni while visiting the park Sunday. He urged the public to avoid activities that could spark new blazes, including discarding cigarette butts and clearing land by burning.

The Bromo fire comes as several other wildfires have been reported across Indonesia during an unusually dry season.

More than 50 hectares (124 acres) of peatland have burned in Jambi province on Sumatra island, causing choking haze in some areas and raising concerns about worsening air quality. The largest fire has been reported in the village of Sungai Gelam in the Muaro Jambi district, where dozens of hectares of oil palm plantations owned by local residents have been destroyed. The blaze has burned since Wednesday.

About 300 firefighters and disaster personnel have been deployed to battle the fire. Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated efforts, even with three helicopters conducting aerial firefighting operations.

Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said August and September are expected to be the most critical months as dry vegetation and strong winds create favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out during dry spells. Fires are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting, and those burns periodically blanket parts of Southeast Asia in hazardous haze.