Fire razes 1,000 ha forest in Lombok

Fire razes 1,000 ha forest in Lombok

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Some 1,000 hectares of forest at Gunung Rinjani National Park have been destroyed by fires during the prolonged dry season.

The chief of the national park, Tedi Sutedi, said his office in cooperation with the local security authorities were still investigating the cause of the fires.

"All locals are barred from entering the area and occupying the land because it will be reforested," he said.

Tedi explained his office had been monitoring the fire but it had difficulty extinguishing the blaze because of its location on the mountainside.

The national park is a tourist destination in the province. --Antara