Indonesia battles growing wildfires as Mount Bromo blaze spreads

Indonesia intensified efforts Monday to contain wildfires spreading across the archipelago, deploying helicopters, hundreds of firefighters and disaster personnel as blazes swept through a popular national park in East Java and peatlands in Sumatra during an unusually dry season.

A total of 43 helicopters and scores of firefighters have been deployed to battle wildfires that had burned more than 107,000 hectares (264,000 acres) of forest and other land across the Southeast Asian country as of Monday, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said.

The largest blaze is burning in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, where about 743 hectares (1,836 acres) have been scorched, according to provincial authorities. The park has been closed to visitors until further notice.

The fire has burned large areas of dry grassland and vegetation, as well as protected edelweiss flowers, as flames spread towards the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint for tourists visiting Mount Bromo. No injuries or evacuations have been reported.

Chaniago said weather modification, or cloud seeding, was considered one of the most effective ways to help firefighters combat the wildfires by inducing rainfall through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds.

However, the operation will be difficult as scientific monitoring found no rain-bearing clouds suitable for cloud seeding through August 18, he told a news conference in Jakarta on Monday.

He spoke after a meeting with ministers and agency chiefs responsible for dealing with the wildfires.

With cloud seeding ruled out because of unfavourable weather conditions, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said authorities were relying on water bombing and ground firefighting teams.

“We are relying solely on water bombing and ground firefighting teams,” Antoni said while visiting Mount Bromo on Sunday.

He urged the public to avoid activities that could trigger new fires, including discarding cigarette butts and clearing land by burning.

Wildfires have been reported in several of Indonesia’s most fire-prone regions, including Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra provinces on Sumatra island, and Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, Chaniago said.

In Jambi, more than 50 hectares (124 acres) of peatland have burned, causing choking haze in some areas and raising concerns about deteriorating air quality.

The largest fire has been reported in Sungai Gelam village in Muaro Jambi district, where dozens of hectares of palm oil plantations owned by local residents have been destroyed. The fire has been burning since Wednesday.

About 300 firefighters and disaster personnel have been deployed to tackle the blaze. Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts, despite three helicopters conducting aerial operations.

Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia and have frequently strained relations with neighbouring countries.

Malaysia has reported unhealthy air quality in parts of Sarawak state on Borneo, with officials saying winds were carrying smoke from hotspots in neighbouring areas. In Singapore, authorities have warned that prevailing southeasterly winds could carry smoke towards the city-state, with dry conditions expected to continue.

“We must uphold the nation’s credibility by showing that we can bring these fires under control,” Chaniago said.

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 favourable conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

Wildfires in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for cultivation.