Wildfires spread in Bromo as BNPB logs fires across 5 islands

Forest and land fires spread across several parts of Indonesia as the dry season and El Nino continue. In the Gunung Bromo area of East Java, BNPB said the total burned area had reached 520 hectares as of Sunday (9/8) night, far larger than the 176 hectares reported two days earlier. Balai Besar Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru has closed all tourist access to Bromo. BB TNBTS head Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha suspected the fire was triggered by a visitor’s campfire that was not fully extinguished and was then fanned by wind. BNPB also reported wildfires in Aceh Besar, Belitung Timur, Subang, Jepara, Banyumas, and other areas in Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua. In Ketapang, West Kalimantan, a resident named Taufik Hidayat, 26 years old, was reported dead after moving through a cloud of smoke.