Indonesia closes schools as firefighters battle wildfires

Indonesian authorities Tuesday ordered the closure of scores of schools for a second day as firefighters continued to battle wildfires in several parts of the country for a ninth consecutive day, local media reported.

The fire that broke out on Aug. 3 burned around 742 hectares (1,833 acres) of land at Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, as spreading haze from wildfires plaguing the archipelago at the start of a long and intense dry season, local English daily Jakarta Globe reported.

The park, a major tourist attraction, remains closed to visitors until further notice.

Mount Bromo in East Java has also been temporarily closed to tourists following the wildfire that has been burning in the national park.

Authorities moved students to online learning in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, which Indonesia shares with Malaysia and Brunei.

Students will continue learning from home for as long as air quality remains poor.

Nearly 50,000 firefighters and disaster personnel, backed by dozens of helicopters, are battling wildfires in several provinces across the country.