Minister: El Niño Makes Forest Fire Extinguishing Difficult

The government has assured full support to accelerate the handling of forest and land fires in several regions. It revealed that the still-strong El Niño conditions are an obstacle to the extinguishing process. “Alhamdulillah, as reported yesterday regarding Bromo, there were two remaining hotspots, which is indeed because the El Niño is quite dry, very high, and that causes the extinguishing process to be difficult,” said State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi to reporters at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (12/8/2026). Pras also expressed appreciation to all parties working hard in the field, from the TNI, Polri, volunteers, to the community. According to him, cooperation between various parties is key to ensuring the fires can be handled promptly. “We are also monitoring volunteers who have gone down to the field, the community is also working hard with all their efforts to help extinguish this fire as soon as possible,” he said. On the other hand, the government is also reminding the public to help prevent the emergence of new hotspots. He mentioned that simple things like carelessly discarding cigarette butts and matches are considered capable of triggering fires amidst the dry land conditions. “Including an appeal to avoid things that can cause the potential emergence of new hotspots. For example, do not litter cigarette butts, do not discard matches carelessly, and avoid clearing land. In some places, this occurs due to our habit of clearing land by burning,” he said. The forest and land fires at Mount Bromo have not yet been extinguished. The total closure of access to the Bromo tourist area has now been extended until 15 August 2026. The decision to extend the tourist access closure was conveyed by the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Centre via its official Instagram account. “The closure of the Mount Bromo tourist area is extended until 15 August 2026, adjusting to the condition of the area which is still in the handling process,” stated TNBTS.