Bromo Forest Fire Spreads Due to Strong Winds
Probolinggo, East Java (ANTARA) - The forest and land fire in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS), East Java, is spreading further due to strong winds and remained unextinguished as of Saturday evening.
Head of the Probolinggo Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Oemar Sjarief said the fire had spread to the Jalur Lingkar Kaldera Tengger (JLKT) area towards the Jantur block because of the strong winds.
He said the joint firefighting team was instructed to prioritise safety, so all personnel gathered at a safe location around the JLKT.
“Shortly afterwards, we received information that the wind had subsided somewhat and the team moved forward towards Jemplang via the old route. We managed to prevent the fire from crossing the old route, so hopefully the wind does not pick up overnight and the fire does not spread further north towards Watangan,” he said.
He said all officers remain on full alert to monitor the forest and land fire situation on Mount Bromo and hope the fire does not grow larger.
The fire, which started on Monday, has continued to spread. The burnt area was initially recorded at around 7.9 hectares, then increased to 44 hectares, then 51 hectares, before reaching approximately 176 hectares on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, the TNBTS Central Office announced the total closure of all tourist access to the Mount Bromo area following the forest fire that has been spreading in the Bromo Caldera since 8 August 2026 at 22.00 WIB until a time limit that has yet to be determined.
Head of the TNBTS Central Office Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha said in an official statement on Saturday evening that the closure was taken to ensure the effectiveness of firefighting efforts on the ground and to guarantee the security and safety of visitors.
The closure applies to all entrance gates to the TNBTS area, including the Cemorolawang entrance in Probolinggo Regency, Wonokitri in Pasuruan Regency, Jemplang and Coban Trisula in Malang Regency, and Senduro in Lumajang Regency.