Volcanic eruption sparks forest fire on eastern Indonesian island

A volcanic eruption has sparked a forest fire on Lembata island in eastern Indonesia, the country's disaster management agency said Friday.
Mount Lewatolo erupted on Thursday, sending a column of ash about 800 metres into the sky, according to the volcanology agency.
Attempts to extinguish the fire that has ravaged the slopes of the volcano have been unsuccessful, said Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.
"The fire spots are in areas that are difficult to reach and dangerous, and the fire-fighting equipment is not adequate," Muhari said.
The agency is sending a water-bombing helicopter to try to douse the flames, he said.
In April, dozens of people living near the 1,423-metre volcano were killed after tropical cyclone Seroja triggered an avalanche of volcanic materials that buried their villages.
Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for seismic upheavals, and has about 128 active volcanoes.