East Java Intensifies Firefighting and Prevention Efforts in Bromo

The East Java Provincial Government is intensifying efforts to extinguish and prevent forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Bromo area to minimise the risk of new fire spots emerging while the emergency alert status is in effect. “We are focusing on extinguishing the fires and preventing the causes of possible subsequent incidents. Therefore, the Bromo perimeter is being restricted and surveillance tightened,” said East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak in Surabaya on Tuesday. Emil explained that field surveillance was strengthened after a meeting led by the Minister of Forestry established the emergency alert status in the Bromo area. The Head of the Operations Bureau has been tasked with ensuring that surveillance measures are implemented in an integrated manner. According to him, the emergency alert status provides a basis for increasing legal enforcement if violations that could potentially trigger new fires are discovered. “Scientifically, wind can carry fire material to other locations, so fires can spread even if the initial point is different,” he said. The East Java Provincial Government is also continuing to deploy aerial firefighting resources. Three helicopters have been put back into operation to extinguish fires in the P30 area after one unit previously underwent maintenance. In addition to aerial firefighting, manual handling is being carried out in the Dingklik area, which briefly flared up again during the night. The Military Resort Commander continues to coordinate on the ground as the Incident Commander. “East Java is one of the priorities for implementing Weather Modification Operations during the strong to very strong El Niño dry season,” he said. He added that the area affected by forest and land fires in Bromo has increased to approximately 800 hectares from the previous estimate of around 580 hectares, although the fire trend is beginning to show a decline. However, he reminded all parties not to be complacent as smoke is still visible in several locations and the potential for recurring fires remains. The Regional Secretary of East Java Province, in his capacity as Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency, together with the Chief Executive of the agency and a team from the National Disaster Management Agency, has also directly inspected the fire location to strengthen field operations.