Indonesia closes national park as wildfire spreads

Indonesian authorities have closed a national park on Java Island as firefighters and aircraft work to contain a wildfire that has been burning for nearly a week. The operation is part of a broader effort to combat a rising number of wildfires across the country during an unusually dry season. The largest fire reported this week has affected approximately 176 hectares of land.

This incident occurs amid a significant increase in fire activity throughout Indonesia. In the first half of this year alone, more than 107,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires, a figure that is more than double the total area burned during the entirety of 2023.