Sawt Falasteen - Indonesia battles Mount Bromo wildfire as El Nino takes root

The fire started Monday near Mount Bromo in East Java, one of Indonesia's most visited tourist destinations but now closed until further notice.

Local authorities deployed two water-bombing helicopters against the flames that have razed at least 127 hectares of national park land to date, fire official Bambang Setyo Antoko told AFP.

The destroyed area is equivalent to about 180 soccer fields.

"We're very dependent on wind conditions," Bambang said of the firefighting effort ahead.

National park official Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha said the area on fire was in a steep, cliffside region, making it difficult for firefighters to reach.

It was not known how the fire started, but Bambang said the park was extremely dry as El Nino conditions take root in Indonesia.

Mount Bromo, famed for its volcanic scenery, previously caught fire in 2023.

That blaze broke out when a couple lit a flare during a pre-wedding photo shoot and destroyed more than 500 hectares of land.

Indonesia's BMKG weather agency has warned that the 2026 dry season will be more intense and prolonged than usual, with a higher risk for wildfires and drought due in part to El Nino.

According to the Ministry of Forestry, more than 107,000 hectares of land burned in Indonesia between January and June this year -- more than double the area destroyed in forest fires in 2023.

The last El Nino helped make 2023 and 2024 the two hottest years globally on record.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns.

In India and Southeast Asia, it typically causes drier conditions.

I.Matar--SF-PST