A fire broke out on Wednesday night in Komodo, roasting about 10 hectares of grassland in the Indonesian National Park.
It’s alleged that the fast-spreading fire was started by a cigarette butt.
The fire did not disturb the natural habitat of the Komodo dragon, the giant monitor lizard that dwells in the national park.
“The fire, an area of 10 hectares, did not interfere with the living habitat of the Komodo, because it was in Giliawa which is a tourist area,” national park head, Budi Kurniawan, told Okezone.
However, while the dragons weren’t impacted, the fire is a hit for local tour operators who bring in guests to enjoy the picturesque savanna for sunsets, trekking, and of course, Instagram photos, says Kurniawan.
Things will be looking pretty dead and burnt up for the remainder of the year, until rainy season picks up again, he added.
“It’s suspected that the national park area fire was caused by a cigarette irresponsibly tossed by a visitor,” he explained, with an appeal to visitors to be more careful when putting out their butts.
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