INDOPOSCO.ID – The forest and land fire in the Mount Bromo area of East Java had yet to be fully extinguished as of Saturday (Aug. 8, 2026) evening, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency’s (BNPB) Data, Information and Disaster Communication Center Abdul Muhari said.
“Joint teams are still working to tackle several fire hotspots located in hard-to-reach areas,” Muhari said in a statement issued Sunday (Aug. 9, 2026).
He said the fire, which broke out on Monday (Aug. 3, 2026), has affected the Watu Gede area of Mount Bromo in Probolinggo Regency and the Jantur area of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in Malang Regency.
“Joint teams are still deployed in the JLKT area to deal with fires approaching the road,” he said.
According to Muhari, hotspots were still emitting smoke in the Pusung Ledok Bedor area. Weather conditions in the Bromo region remained clear, with moderate wind speeds.
“Joint teams continue to monitor the situation to anticipate changes in wind direction and potential fire spread caused by the terrain and wind gusts,” he said.
He said firefighting efforts were being carried out through both ground and aerial operations. The joint response involves the BNPB, East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Probolinggo BPBD, Malang BPBD, TNBTS, forest rangers, Perhutani, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police, volunteers and local residents.
“Ground operations are being carried out using one fire truck. Personnel are also using manual fire-beating techniques and sprayers to reach fire hotspots that can still be tackled from the ground,” Muhari said.
To accelerate firefighting in areas that are difficult to access, aerial operations are also underway with two helicopters deployed, he said. One of the helicopters was provided by the East Java provincial government through the Indonesian Navy’s Aviation Center (Puspenerbal), with a water-carrying capacity of 1,000 liters.
“The other helicopter is provided by the BNPB and has the same water-carrying capacity of 1,000 liters,” he said.
“The use of aerial assets is crucial because several hotspots are located in forested areas that are difficult for ground personnel to reach,” Muhari added.
Muhari said the BNPB had also coordinated with the Air Force base commander to prepare a command post and support aerial firefighting operations from Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base. The East Java BPBD has also provided logistical and personnel support to accelerate efforts to contain the fire.
“Terrain conditions are among the main challenges. The steep slopes of the Bromo Caldera, wind conditions and the location of the fire hotspots in forested areas have made ground-based firefighting difficult,” he said.
Therefore, he added, aerial operations have become a crucial part of the response, particularly in reaching fire hotspots that cannot be effectively accessed by personnel on the ground.
“As a safety measure, the TNBTS authority temporarily closed parts of the Mount Bromo tourist area starting Aug. 3 at 10 p.m. local time. The closure will remain in effect until further notice,” Muhari said.
“The closure covers access to Mount Bromo from Malang and Lumajang regencies,” he added.
Muhari said the BNPB estimated that approximately 176.20 hectares of land had been affected by the fire. The figure is still being verified and may change following further field assessments.
“Together with all relevant agencies, we are ensuring that monitoring and response efforts continue in an integrated manner through both ground and aerial operations. These efforts are aimed at containing the fire hotspots while preventing the blaze from spreading to other areas,” he said.(nas)
