Bandung, West Java, Sept. 25 -- Indonesian geological authorities have deployed an emergency team to evaluate potential hazards following reports of a rare blue fire phenomenon inside the active crater of Mount Papandayan in West Java.

Head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) Rita Susilawati said on Friday that visual observations on Sept. 23 recorded purplish-blue flames glowing across several sections of the crater.

By Sept. 24, the fires had diminished into a more concentrated, whitish-blue glow.

"The Geological Agency team is currently conducting a field inspection to analyze this phenomenon and its potential danger," Susilawati said.

Experts attribute the display to the natural combustion of sul...