Bromo Fire Still Uncontained, Spreads to 10 Hectares

A forest and land fire on Mount Bromo, East Java, remained uncontained on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, with the affected area estimated to have expanded to 10 hectares. Joint personnel continue to battle the spreading flames using basic manual equipment. “Based on reports from field officers, the hotspots are still not extinguished today, so personnel are continuing efforts to put out the fires at several points,” said Oemar Sjarief, Head of the Probolinggo Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), on Wednesday. The Rapid Response Team from Probolinggo BPBD, along with East Java BPBD, Perhutani, the military and police, the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Authority (TNBTS), East Java Disaster Management Agents, volunteers, and local residents, are working together to extinguish the fire in the tourist area. “The fire beaters (kepyok) owned by the officers have all been damaged due to massive use during firefighting efforts, but officers are still extinguishing the fire using tree branches,” he said. In addition to the beaters, the joint team is using backpack sprayers to combat the flames, which continue to spread to other locations due to strong winds and dry Imperata grass that ignites easily. The team is also monitoring the movement of hotspots and creating firebreaks to prevent the fire from spreading further, hoping the flames can be extinguished and the burned area does not expand. The area of forest and land fires in the Bromo area, which is part of the TNBTS, has grown from 7.9 hectares to 10 hectares, with the possibility of further increase as the hotspots are not yet 100 percent extinguished. The fire has resulted in the partial closure of the Mount Bromo tourist area, a major destination in East Java, as the TNBTS Authority has shut access from the Jemplang and Coban Trisula entry points in Malang Regency, as well as Senduro in Lumajang Regency, to maximise firefighting efforts and ensure tourist safety. The three access points have been closed since Monday (3/8) at 10:00 PM WIB for an unspecified period, though tourists can still visit Mount Bromo via the Cemoro Lawang entrance in Probolinggo Regency and Wonokitri in Pasuruan Regency with limited access.