Government Hands Bromo Forest Fire Investigation to Law Enforcement
Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni has asserted that the investigation into the cause of the forest and land fire in the Mount Bromo area, East Java, is fully handed over to law enforcement. This step is taken to ensure firm action against parties proven to have started the fire, whether intentionally or through negligence. “(The investigation) we hand over to law enforcement,” said Minister Raja Juli during a press briefing in the Mount Bromo area on Sunday (9/8). He stressed that anyone proven to have carried out forest and land burning will receive a punishment commensurate with the applicable regulations.
Based on an initial report from the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) Centre on Friday (7/8), the cause of the fire is strongly suspected to have originated from human activity. The initial fire point was detected in the Blok Bantengan area, which is a traditional route or shortcut connecting Arjosari Village with Ranu Pani. TNBTS officials identified the possibility of a campfire made by certain individuals to ward off the cold weather, but the fire was not completely extinguished before being left unattended. This condition was exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, which has made this year’s dry season much drier and the vegetation highly flammable.
During his working visit, Minister Raja Juli Antoni directly reviewed the firefighting process using water bombing helicopters in the Probolinggo Regency area. The Minister was accompanied by East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak and local government officials. Head of the TNBTS Centre, Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, added that the affected area has now reached 520 hectares, a significant increase from the previous figure of 176 hectares. This surge occurred after the fire flared up again on Saturday (8/8) night due to strong winds that carried the fire across the Tengger Caldera Ring Road (JLKT) towards the savanna area.
The government strongly urges all members of the public and tourists not to play with fire or engage in activities that could trigger sparks within the forest area, considering the extremely dry vegetation conditions caused by frost and the extreme drought.