A large forest fire occurred on the slopes of Mount Batur, destroying about 9.8 hectares of vegetation. The fire broke out in the protected area of the Gunung Batur Bukit Payang Nature Tourism Park (TWA Bukit Payang) in Kintamani.
According to the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), the fire spread across dry slopes with dense savanna grass and coniferous trees. Affected species include Sumatran pine, mountain casuarina, and tibluns shrub.
The smoke was first noticed by a local resident who reported the incident to the head of the motorcycle taxi association for trekking on Batur. The message spread among the locals, and within minutes, dozens of volunteers and rescuers began firefighting efforts.
Participants in the operation included representatives from BKSDA, the fire department, military and police units (TNI and Polri), as well as farmers and guides from nearby villages. Due to the difficult terrain, firefighting was carried out manually, using water jets and controlled backfires to prevent the flames from spreading towards Pura Pasar Agung temple.
Despite the challenging terrain and strong winds, most of the fire was localized by the evening of the same day, but work on the upper slope continued late into the night. Preliminary data suggests the fire may have started due to visitor negligence, with an unextinguished cigarette butt being the suspected cause.
The fire not only destroyed forest and savanna vegetation but also worsened air quality in the Kintamani area. BKSDA reported that patrols of protected areas will be intensified and informational campaigns among tourists and locals will be increased in the near future.
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