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Indonesia grapples with fires as El Nino peaks
The Environment and Forestry Ministry estimates that nearly 270,000 hectares of land and forest have been burned so far this year, with West Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, South Kalimantan and East Java among the worst-hit provinces.
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Firefighters looks at a fire burning forests and savanna on Mount Bromo from an observation post in Malang, East Java, on Sept. 12, 2023. (Antara/Muhammad Mada)
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uthorities are struggling to put out forest and land fires that have been engulfing many parts of the country, including mountainous areas of Java and fire-prone regions in Sumatra and Borneo, as the country enters the hottest day of this year’s El Nino-induced dry season.
Firefighters are still scrambling to put out the large fire that has been burning through savanna fields and forests in popular tourist destination Mount Bromo in East Java since last Wednesday.
The fire first broke out on a hill popularly known among tourists as Teletubbies Hill in Probolinggo regency after a handheld flare used during a pre-wedding photoshoot ignited dry grass in the savanna.
As of Monday, the fire had spread to the neighboring Malang and Pasuruan regencies. It also damaged water pipes to six villages in Sukapura district, Probolinggo.
Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers had been deployed since last week to put out the blaze. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) also dispatched helicopters that dumped some 13,000 liters of water during a water-bombing operation on Monday.
Read also: Haze blankets cities in Kalimantan, Sumatra as fires rage
Strong winds helped the fire spread rapidly, making it harder for firefighters to extinguish the blaze, according to the Malang Regency Disaster Mitigation Agency.
