Several tourist access points closed at Indonesia's Mount Bromo due to fire

Several tourist access points in Indonesia's Mount Bromo area in East Java were closed after a fire broke out in the Pengol Savanna on Thursday, a state-run news agency reported Friday.

The closure is indefinite as authorities assess safety at the affected site, according to the head of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Authority (TNBTS), Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha.

Tourists can still enter through Cemorolawang and Wonokitri but can only access Mount Bromo as far as the Sea of Sand, while Lembah Watangan Savanna remains closed.

The park can accommodate up to 2,752 tourists.

Separately, joint teams are battling a forest fire in East Java's Meru Betiri National Park that has burned 72 hectares since Tuesday.

Jember Regional Agency for Disaster Countermeasures (BPBD) chief Edy Budi Susilo said Friday the fire has not been fully extinguished, with strong winds hampering firefighting efforts and pushing flames to within about 100 meters (328 feet) of settlements.

Smoke caused breathing difficulties and eye irritation among residents, prompting officials to distribute masks.

Although the fire was extinguished Thursday evening, new hotspots emerged in the eastern part of the forest.