Tambora National Park Savanna Fire Expands, Firefighting Efforts Continue
The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) is continuing intensive efforts to control a land fire that has swept through approximately 1,956 hectares of savanna in Tambora National Park (TN). The fire not only threatens wildlife habitat and a high-value conservation area, but also has the potential to degrade air quality and disrupt nature tourism that underpins the local economy.
Extinguishing operations are being carried out in an integrated manner by the Forest Fire Control Centre for Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara (Balai Dalkarhut Jabalnusra), the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement, the Tambora National Park Office, and community fire awareness groups (MPA).
Tambora National Park is a nature conservation area spanning 71,645.64 hectares that has been designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. The area is an important habitat for protected species such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Red-flanked Lorikeet, Australian Roller, and Timor Deer.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, affirmed that forest and land fires (karhutla) are a matter of public interest. “When forests burn, surrounding communities are the first to feel the impact, from air quality to economic activity. Fire control requires collaboration from all parties so that prevention becomes a shared culture,” said Januanto on Friday (10 July).
He added that any legal violation proven to have caused a fire will be dealt with firmly in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations.
The fire was first detected on Sunday (5 July) at 13.30 Central Indonesia Time at the Piong Resort. The flames spread rapidly due to a combination of natural factors.
In response, the Ministry of Forestry deployed a Manggala Agni squad from the Mataram Section III to reinforce personnel in Bima Regency. Synergy between park officers, Manggala Agni and the MPA has been key to accelerating the field response in order to protect areas that can still be saved.
Head of Balai Dalkarhut Jabalnusra, Bambang Setyo Antoko, explained that the extinguishing strategy continues to be adapted to Tambora’s terrain. “The savanna characteristics mean the fire spreads quickly. We are focused on suppressing the rate of spread while prioritising personnel safety and protection of the core zone,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Head of the Tambora National Park Office, Abdul Azis Bakry, assured that protection efforts will continue through to the recovery phase. “Once the fire is under control, we will carry out gradual restoration of the area, strengthened patrols and early detection involving local communities so that Tambora’s ecological function is preserved over the long term,” he concluded.