Indonesia intensifies wildfire fight as Mount Bromo blaze spreads

Key facts

• Wildfires have burned over 107,000 hectares (264,000 acres) of land across Indonesia as of Monday, with 43 helicopters deployed for firefighting.
• The largest blaze is in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, where about 743 hectares (1,836 acres) have been scorched, leading to the closure of the park.
• Cloud-seeding operations were considered but ruled out because no suitable rain-bearing clouds are expected through Aug. 18, according to the coordinating minister.
• Strengthening El Nino conditions have raised the risk of more forest and land fires during the peak dry season.
• In Jambi province, more than 50 hectares of peatland have burned, causing haze and raising air quality concerns.
• Indonesia's meteorological agency said August and September are expected to be the most critical months for wildfires due to dry vegetation and strong winds.