Labuan Bajo, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) – The West Manggarai Police has confirmed that tourist facilities in Komodo Island, East Nusa Tenggara, were safe as fire gutted savannah in Laju Pemali, the western part of the island on Saturday (Aug 7).

“We can assure that no fire were spotted in the location. All facilities and wildlife are safe,” Manggarai Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Bambang Hari Wibowo said in a statement here on Sunday.

Wibowo said a joint team of the West Manggarai police, Labuan Bajo police mobile brigade (Brimob), Naval Base, Manggarai Military Command, and West Manggarai administration has monitored the situation since late Saturday.

The team has continued patrolling waters surrounding the Komodo National Park.

“We are conducting patrol at the waters surrounding the Komodo National Park, from its southern part to the eastern part. We did not spot any fire around the location,” he said. The fire broke out on Saturday (Aug 7) at around 03:00 p.m. local time. Laju Pemali is situated in the western part of Komodo Island and in the southern part of Loh Wenci.

Head of the Komodo National Park (BTNK) Lukita Awang said, the fire has burned savannah vegetation on 10 hectares of the park. The authority is still investigating the cause of the fire.

Awang assured that none of Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) was hurt in the blaze as the savannah was not the habitat for the giant lizard.

The BTNK rangers were managed to put out the fire at Laju Pemali savannah in the western part of Komodo Island in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday morning.

Komodo National Park, a popular tourist destination, is made up of three large islands and more than 20 smaller ones and is home to the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard.

Source: Antara News