Joint Task Force Handles 899.35 Hectares of Fire-Affected Land in Mount Bromo Area

The joint team handling forest and land fires in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, is tackling blazes across an area of 899.35 hectares as of Tuesday, according to the sector commander.

The fire, which began on 3 August 2026, is estimated to have affected 899.35 hectares of land, said Colonel Inf Wahyu Ramadhanus Suryawan, who also serves as commander of the 083/Baladhika Jaya Military Resort Command.

He said the firefighting operation is being carried out in an integrated manner across sectors, involving ministries, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, and four regional governments: Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Malang and Lumajang regencies.

He confirmed that efforts to control the fire hotspots have been successful, preventing further expansion of the affected area.

“Currently, the intervention focus is on the remaining active hotspots, namely Watangan at 817.342 hectares, Argowulan at 25.393 hectares, and Dingklik, Pakis Bincil, Mungal at 56.65 hectares,” he said.

Nevertheless, he noted that firefighting efforts face challenges such as wind factors and dry-season weather, as well as thick fog that limits visibility for water-bombing helicopter pilots during aerial operations.

“Today we are optimising two helicopters for water bombing, down from three units previously, adjusting to weather dynamics and pilot visibility in the field. Our priority is to cut off the spread path so the fire does not expand into new vegetation areas,” he said.

Based on initial analysis, the likelihood of natural causes triggering the fire is very small, given that the Bromo area still retains a certain level of humidity even during the current dry season.

“As a follow-up measure to ensure the fire does not reignite, the integrated command post under the responsibility of the Probolinggo Military District Commander has prepared an action plan, including regular integrated patrols, stationing of joint personnel, and public information management,” he said.