Drone Technology and Water Bombing Extinguish Forest Fires at Mount Bromo
Efforts to tackle forest and land fires in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) are showing significant results. The integration of aerial monitoring technology and physical intervention has successfully suppressed the spread of the blaze in the conservation area.
The joint firefighting task force reported that as of Friday (14/8) at 12.30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time, hotspots in several strategic areas of Mount Bromo were no longer detected. The success was confirmed through a series of visual validation procedures using the latest technology.
Head of Emergency and Logistics at the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Satriyo Nurseno, stated that the current status regarding the absence of hotspots is based on accurate field data. The joint team relied on two main methods to ascertain conditions in geographically hard-to-reach areas.
“The results of aerial monitoring using helicopters and drones, as well as ground sweeps, showed that no hotspots were found,” Satriyo said in Surabaya on Friday. The use of drones provided an advantage in precisely mapping the affected areas, while helicopters offered a broad bird’s-eye view to detect temperature anomalies or thin plumes of smoke.
Although hotspots had generally subsided, the team previously detected smoke points in the Pakis Bincil 1 and 2 areas of Pasuruan Regency. In response, the authorities immediately launched a massive aerial operation. Three helicopters were deployed to carry out water bombing procedures. This aerial firefighting technology is considered the most effective method for breaking the chain of fire on Bromo’s steep hilly terrain. The smoke points in Pakis Bincil were successfully extinguished through this operation.
In addition to high-tech intervention, the joint team also conducted ground sweeps in the Bukit Cinta area. There, officers discovered potential hidden hotspots beneath the soil surface or leaf litter. As a mitigation measure, manual wetting was carried out. This step is crucial to ensure no smouldering embers remain that could reignite a fire if blown by strong winds.
Based on the latest data collection, the total area affected by the fire has reached 1,120.3 hectares. The vegetation damage includes endemic species and trees such as mountain pines, mentingi, and acacias, which are vital to the Bromo ecosystem. The local government and East Java BPBD emphasised that the figure for the affected land area remains dynamic, and data collection will continue alongside efforts to stabilise the area so that ecosystem and tourism activities can resume safely.