INDOPOSCO.ID – Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto has outlined three main factors making it difficult to extinguish the forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS), which have entered their 10th day.
“The first challenge is the extremely difficult terrain,” Suharyanto said in a statement in Probolinggo, East Java, on Tuesday (Aug. 11, 2026).
The fire hotspots are located at high elevations, with slopes reaching up to 80 degrees, making it impossible for ground teams to reach the affected areas due to concerns for personnel safety.
The second challenge is the limited availability of water sources near the fire sites. At present, water supplies for firefighting vehicles are dependent on water from Ranu Pani.
“The third challenge is related to weather conditions, which are not yet conducive to triggering artificial rainfall through the Weather Modification Operation (OMC),” Suharyanto said.
Despite the extreme terrain, BNPB remains optimistic that efforts to tackle the fires at the two main hotspots can be completed in the coming days.
According to an analysis by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), there is potential for the development of rain clouds in mid-August.
“Based on BMKG’s assessment, there is potential for rain clouds to develop from Aug. 14 to 16. If this potential is confirmed, BNPB will immediately conduct a Weather Modification Operation to maximize rainfall over the affected areas,” Suharyanto said.
Forest and land fires have affected the Mount Bromo area in East Java since Monday (Aug. 3, 2026), at around 5 p.m. local time. Initially, approximately 60 hectares of land in Probolinggo and Malang regencies had been affected by the fires as of Wednesday (Aug. 5, 2026). The affected area has now expanded to 889 hectares. (dan)
