Forest fire on Mount Gombak in Ponorogo scorches 15 hectares

A forest and land fire struck the Mount Gombak area in Karanggayam Hamlet, Sukosari Village, Kauman District, Ponorogo Regency, East Java, on Monday afternoon, scorching around 15 hectares of forest and land. The blaze was first spotted at around 3 p.m. local time and was successfully extinguished after approximately eight hours of firefighting efforts.

Head of the Ponorogo Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Masun stated that the fire originated at the lower slope and spread upwards. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. He explained that the flames initially burned the northern side of Mount Gombak before spreading to the west, east, and parts of the southern side of the area.

Firefighting was conducted manually by a joint team comprising personnel from BPBD, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian National Police, the State Forestry Company (Perhutani), volunteers, village officials, and local residents. The team used simple tools such as beaters and created firebreaks to contain the spread of the flames.

Masun confirmed that the fire did not reach residential areas, although the nearest point of the blaze was approximately 100 metres from people’s homes. He added that officers remained on site to monitor for any potential new hotspots.

In addition to the Mount Gombak incident, the Ponorogo BPBD is also collecting data on other forest and land fire hotspots in the region, including in the districts of Sampung, Sambit, and Balong. The agency has urged the public to remain highly alert to the risk of forest and land fires, particularly during dry and windy weather conditions, and to avoid leaving any potential ignition sources in open areas.