Bromo Savanna Fire Reaches 80 Hectares, Water Bombing Deployed

The Probolinggo Regency Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has reported that the area of savanna burned on Mount Bromo is predicted to have reached 80 hectares, based on information from the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) Centre. The fire was still not extinguished as of Wednesday night (5/8), with hotspots remaining, suggesting the affected area could expand. The initial indication of the fire was detected through the Ministry of Forestry’s Forest and Land Fire Monitoring System (SiPongi+), which processes hotspot data from various satellites, including NASA-MODIS. On Tuesday (4/8), SiPongi+ detected a hotspot with medium confidence, and the information was immediately verified through a ground check, allowing firefighting operations to be swiftly mobilised to contain the spread of the flames. The fire is burning through savanna vegetation, mountain pines, ferns, and shrubs. Firefighting operations are facing significant challenges, including steep slopes, rugged hills, highly flammable vegetation, strong winds, and limited water sources. To support the effort, water is being supplied in stages using tanker trucks to points still accessible to personnel. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is also providing support by deploying a water-bombing helicopter from Palangka Raya to accelerate the extinguishing of the forest and land fires in Bromo. The Head of the Forest Fire Control Centre for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara regions stated that all personnel are continuously adapting their firefighting strategy to the developing conditions on the ground. The Ministry of Forestry has made the protection of conservation areas from the threat of forest fires a key part of the policy of the Minister of Forestry.