Indonesia closes Mount Tambora hiking routes over forest fire threat

Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - Hiking trails on Mount Tambora in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara have been temporarily closed from September 1 because of heightened forest-fire risks during the dry season, national park authorities said on Tuesday.

Tambora National Park Authority chief Abdul Azis Bakry said the closure follows a national directive restricting mountain tourism in conservation areas vulnerable to dry-season fires.

Online monitoring and field patrols have detected several fire hotspots at locations across the national park, Bakry said.

He said the hotspots were among the main reasons authorities decided to temporarily suspend hiking activities on Mount Tambora.

Restricting access aims to reduce human activity that could accidentally trigger fires while allowing rangers to focus on monitoring and managing fires inside the conservation area.

Essential activities, including patrols, disaster mitigation and research, will continue during the closure, Bakry said.

The closure applies only to Mount Tambora’s hiking trails. The national park does not use an online ticket reservation system, so no refund or cancellation mechanism applies.

Authorities have advised local tourism operators, guides and porters to direct visitors toward safer, non-hiking destinations while the trails remain closed.

Other attractions inside the park, including Oi Marai Waterfall, remain open if safety conditions allow, Bakry said.

He said the closure was a precautionary measure designed to protect the ecosystem and ensure visitor safety during the heightened fire risk.

Mount Tambora’s hiking trails will reopen once authorities determine that the area is no longer threatened by forest fires.

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Translator: Ady Ardiansah, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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