Komodo fires test Labuan Bajo disaster plan and park preparedness

Labuan Bajo — Komodo National Park has experienced at least four documented fires since 2018, with the latest in this series burning savanna at Loh Serai on Rinca Island on 2 November 2021 and highlighting unresolved questions about how regional disaster-preparedness plans apply to the park.

Floresa, a regional news outlet, reported that the Loh Serai fire began on the afternoon of 2 November 2021 in a non-tourism area of Rinca Island and was extinguished the following morning by park rangers working with local residents. A separate account by National Geographic, citing a release from the park administration, said the fire at Loh Serai required more than six hours of effort by rangers and nearby communities to bring under control.

In that coverage, Dwi Putro Sugiarto, head of administration at the park office, estimated that about 10 hectares of savanna were burned at Loh Serai. A member of parliament, Ansy Lema, later referred to the Loh Serai fire and an earlier blaze at Laju Pamali on Komodo Island as two conservation-area fires recorded in 2021.

Regional disaster framework and assets

The disaster-management framework for the wider Labuan Bajo and West Manggarai area is set out in West Manggarai Regency Regulation No. 10 of 2013 on the implementation of regional disaster management. The regulation defines the West Manggarai Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) as the body responsible for disaster management in the regency, covering prevention, preparedness, emergency response and recovery.

The regulation applies to disasters caused by natural, non-natural or human factors and envisages coordination among regional bodies and national agencies. It does not, in the sections reviewed, lay out detailed operational procedures for fires inside Komodo National Park or identify which institution holds final incident command when multiple agencies are involved.

Floresa reported that in February 2020 the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) positioned one helicopter and one fast Sea Rider boat on standby to support disaster operations in the Labuan Bajo area. The same report noted that on 4 November 2020 BNPB’s Deputy for Prevention conducted training for West Manggarai BPBD officials and staff on disaster mitigation and safe-tourism preparedness.

According to Floresa, these steps were followed by a disaster-response simulation in Labuan Bajo on 12 November 2020, observed by national ministers, the park administration and provincial and regency officials, with President Joko Widodo joining virtually. The simulation was presented as part of broader efforts to improve disaster readiness in a growing tourism destination.

Field response at Loh Serai and previous fires

For the Loh Serai fire, coverage by Floresa stated that Komodo National Park rangers and local residents used basic tools, including branches, to beat back the flames and succeeded in extinguishing the fire by the morning of 3 November 2021. National Geographic’s account similarly described rangers and residents working on foot to contain the fire in a savanna area outside the main tourism zone.

The causes of the Loh Serai fire have not been definitively established in the available material. Floresa reported park officials as saying they were still investigating. Other commentary in 2021 from civil-society sources argued that repeated fires and limited equipment in the field raised questions about how well government preparations were being translated into operational support for rangers and nearby communities.

Floresa’s reporting identified four fires in the park from 2018 through 2021: Loh Pede on Komodo Island on 19 June 2018, Gili Lawa Darat on 1 August 2018, Laju Pamali on 7 August 2021 and Loh Serai on 2 November 2021. Mongabay, Liputan6 and other outlets separately confirmed the 2018 Gili Lawa Darat fire, which burned roughly 10 hectares of savanna and led to a temporary closure of the site for investigation and ecosystem recovery.

Indonesian media reports on the Laju Pamali incident in August 2021 described a savanna fire on the western side of Komodo Island, with around 10 hectares affected and rangers leading overnight firefighting operations. Officials said investigations into the cause were ongoing, with preliminary views pointing to environmental factors and, in at least one report, alleged illegal hunting activity in the area.

Preparedness plan versus operational clarity

The combination of a regency-level disaster regulation and BNPB’s deployment of a helicopter, a fast boat and training activities suggests that regional authorities had begun building a more coordinated emergency-preparedness system for Labuan Bajo and its surroundings by late 2020.

Floresa’s analysis, echoed by civil-society commentary, argued that despite the existence of readiness plans and exercises, repeated fires and reliance on rangers and residents with limited equipment indicated that implementation on the ground remained weak. Those voices called for stronger monitoring posts, clearer roles among agencies and better visitor awareness of the park’s primary conservation function.

For visitors and local communities, the documented fires and partial information about assets such as helicopters and boats underline the difference between announced preparedness measures and a fully transparent, verifiable response system. The reported incidents show that rangers and nearby residents are likely to be the first line of response on Komodo’s islands, while broader questions about command structures, deployment criteria and coverage of other risks such as earthquakes or marine accidents remain open in the public record.

Sources

• Floresa
• West Manggarai Regency Legal Documentation and Information Network (JDIH)
• National Geographic Indonesia
• Radar Aktual
• Sunspirit for Justice and Peace
• Mongabay Indonesia
• Liputan6
• Media Indonesia