Fire near Indonesia’s Mount Bromo extinguished after 550ha burned, but new hot spots emerge

JAKARTA – A fire in Indonesia’s Mount Bromo National Park in East Java that burnt 550ha has been extinguished, an official said on Aug 10, but there are new hot spots near the caldera of the volcano.The fire, which started on Aug 3, affected 550ha as at Aug 9 and had been fully extinguished, said Gatot Soebroto, head of the local disaster mitigation agency.The authorities, he said, had found new fires in areas around the caldera, covering some 20ha.Mount Bromo, an active volcano, is a popular tourist destination. It is best known for its “sand sea” caldera. The national park covers more than 50,000ha.“The fire around the caldera is likely to spread farther on Monday,” Gatot said.More than 120 personnel, three water-bombing helicopters, drones and some fire trucks have been deployed to put out the fires around the caldera, he said.The authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but Gatot said they suspect it was caused by carelessness.“A person lit a fire, then put it out – but the fire was not fully extinguished,” he said, adding that this conclusion was reached because the first flames were found along a route used by visitors.The national park has been closed since the evening of Aug 8 because of the fire. No casualties have been reported. REUTERS