Fire on Mount Gede Remains Uncontained

A fire near Kawah Wadon in Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java, remains uncontained, with hotspots continuing to emerge. Head of the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park Agency, Sadtata Noor Adirahmanta, through public relations officer Agus Deni, stated that efforts to tackle the blaze are ongoing.

Based on monitoring on Monday, 10 August, smoke was still observed rising from the deep leaf litter around the fire site. The affected area is estimated to cover 5.8 hectares.

‘The deep leaf litter has the potential to store embers and reignite flames. This condition is a concern in the overall fire suppression effort,’ Agus said on Tuesday, 11 August.

On Tuesday, the agency received further reports of new hotspots appearing near Kawah Wadon, requiring additional intervention. ‘We followed up on the report. At around 6.00 a.m. Western Indonesia Time, a team from the agency along with six volunteers inspected the fire point via the Cibodas route,’ he explained.

The inspection found two smoke points on the rim of Kawah Wadon. Agus noted that the natural conditions around the crater are relatively complex. ‘The deep leaf litter, difficult terrain, and considerable distance from water sources pose challenges to comprehensive suppression efforts,’ he stated.

These conditions can also cause the situation on the ground to change rapidly. Therefore, continuous monitoring and handling are required while prioritising personnel safety.

The agency, together with Manggala Agni, volunteers, the Forest Police Community Partners, cross-agency personnel, and all involved parties, continue to coordinate in monitoring and tackling the fire on Mount Gede. He stressed that all elements remain on standby. ‘We also continue to strive to prevent the fire from spreading or new hotspots from emerging,’ he concluded.