Arjuno trails closed in East Java

From Saturday, 17 October, the trails on Arjuno-Welirang in East Java are closed. The provincial forestry service gave no reopening date: the forest is burning inside the Raden Soerjo forest park.

The fire started on Friday, 16 October, around 11:00, near the villages of Jatiarjo and Dayurejo in Pasuruan regency — at Puthuk Bulak, Guo Gambir, Tungwulung, Anjat and Gunung Ringgit. Twenty-seven people are fighting it: forest guards, Manggala Agni firefighters and volunteers. The area is still unknown. The service says some of the flames are close to the trails, but the route would have been closed even if they were farther away, so the crews can concentrate on the fire.

In the early hours of Sunday, 18 October, Semeru erupted again. Disway Malang, citing the volcanology service, reports an emission at 00:39 that was not seen; the eruption was still going on when the report was written. The week’s count is 51 such episodes, and the status remains Level III, Siaga. The service asks people to stay out of the south-eastern sector along Besuk Kobokan within 13 kilometres of the summit, and at least 500 metres from the riverbank, because hot clouds and lahars can reach 17 kilometres. Within 5 kilometres of the crater it warns of incandescent rock. The paper also writes that climbing Semeru is closed while this status stands.