JAKARTA (Bernama): A forest and land fire at Indonesia's Mount Bromo has spread across about 10 hectares, forcing the partial closure of one of the country's most popular tourist destinations as firefighters race to contain the blaze.
Probolinggo Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) chief Oemar Sjarief said the fire remained active on Wednesday, with joint emergency personnel battling multiple hotspots despite challenging conditions to prevent the blaze from spreading further.
"Based on reports from personnel in the field, the hotspots have not yet been extinguished, so officers are continuing firefighting efforts at a number of locations,” he said, according to Antara news agency, on Wednesday.
The fire broke out on Monday in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park and is believed to have been triggered by a campfire left behind by hikers, according to local authorities, although the cause remains under investigation.
In a separate incident, a forest fire in the protected Mount Soputan forest in North Sulawesi had spread to an estimated 300 hectares by Monday, a day after it broke out, with authorities intensifying efforts to contain the blaze.
East Minahasa Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Emergency and Logistics Division head Julex Wanga said strong winds had fuelled the fire, creating new hotspots and hampering firefighting operations in the rugged terrain.
He said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
-- BERNAMA
