Firefighters Respond to Puncak Setampol Fire in North Lombok

Lombok — A fire in Gunung Rinjani National Park was reported at Puncak Setampol, North Lombok, after flames were visible from settlements in Sembalun on the night of Sept. 22. The Gunung Rinjani National Park authority prepared a team of seven people to begin initial firefighting and assess the affected area on the morning of Sept. 23.

The fire was reported at the Torean Resort area, outside the Gunung Rinjani hiking route. Officials said the size of the burned area and the cause of the fire had not yet been established. The response was scheduled for daylight after officials weighed personnel safety and the late-night conditions.

Why the Rinjani fire matters to visitors

For foreign residents and visitors, the reported location matters because Puncak Setampol is within the national park but outside the hiking route identified by officials. The reports do not state that the wider park was closed, nor do they provide a new access rule. They do establish that officials were conducting firefighting, monitoring and data collection in the area.

The seven-person initial team comprised two Manggala Agni personnel, Indonesia’s specialized forest and land-firefighting force, and five members of the community fire-care group. Officials said the fire was first observed at 6:50 p.m. WITA (UTC+8) on Sept. 22, while residents in Sembalun saw the flames from their settlements.

As of Sept. 23, the park authority was still assessing the extent of the fire, the affected vegetation and its cause. It said personnel were carrying out suppression efforts and that further developments would follow field monitoring and official reports.

Sources

• detikBali — regional news report
• Metro TV News — national news report
• bali.suara.com
• ntb.idntimes.com
• globalsummitguide.com