Mount Arjuno Fire: One Hotspot Remains in Raung Deres Area

The East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has reported the latest progress in tackling the forest fire on Mount Arjuno. As of Thursday (20/8/2026), the joint team has successfully extinguished two of the three hotspots that emerged since Wednesday (19/8).

Head of BPBD East Java, Gatot Soebroto, stated that the one remaining active hotspot is located in the Lapangan Kotak area, Raung Deres, Pecalukan Village, Prigen District, Pasuruan Regency. This location poses a significant challenge as it is difficult for ground teams to reach.

Efforts to extinguish the final hotspot are facing serious obstacles from natural factors. Gatot explained that the considerable distance to the site, combined with thick foggy weather conditions, is hampering the movement of the joint team.

These conditions are not only impeding ground crews but also aerial operations. The water-bombing method using helicopters cannot yet be carried out optimally due to limited visibility caused by fog around the Mount Arjuno-Welirang area.

Head of BPBD Pasuruan Regency, Sugeng Hariyadi, added that his team has established a firefighting command post at Kaliandra Field since Thursday (20/8) to accelerate on-site coordination.

Although one hotspot remains active, Sugeng confirmed that the other two hotspots have been fully brought under control. The extinguished locations are in the Lengkehan and Pondokan areas, Pecalukan Village, Prigen District.

The joint team continues to conduct intensive monitoring and periodic weather surveys. Once the fog begins to lift, firefighting operations via both ground and air routes will be immediately optimised to ensure the fire does not spread to other forest areas.