Bandung, W Java, Sept. 1 -- West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has ordered temporary closures of mountain hiking areas as the province's burned forest and land area rose to 228.07 hectares from 196.40 hectares within a week.

Dedi urged mountain-area managers to temporarily suspend hiking to prevent fires from spreading during the dry season.

Speaking in Bandung, the capital of West Java Province, on Tuesday, he said campfires and discarded cigarette butts could trigger fires.

"Mountain hiking should be temporarily suspended because hikers could start fires," he added.

Data from the West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency showed 228.07 hectares of forest and land had burned across the province as of Monday (August 31).

The fires affected 17...