Mount Bromo Fire Not Yet Extinguished, Drone Water Spray and Helicopter Deployed
Authorities have deployed a helicopter and a drone water spray to extinguish forest and land fires in the Mount Bromo area, Probolinggo Regency. The location of the fire is now gradually being brought under control.
Firefighting efforts continue by combing through hotspots still visible in the Bantengan and Jantur blocks, Sariwani Village, Probolinggo Regency. Officers are implementing several firefighting strategies adapted to the terrain conditions.
At the top of the cliffs, the fire is being tackled manually using the gepyok method. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the cliffs, officers are utilising water sprays from tanker trucks belonging to the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Centre (TNBTS).
To reach difficult-to-access locations, the East Java BPBD has deployed a drone water spray with a capacity of 150 litres. The drone is used to spray water directly onto hotspots on steep slopes that are difficult for ground crews to reach.
Head of the East Java BPBD, Gatot Subroto, said the fire had intensified on Wednesday afternoon in the Bantengan block, which borders Malang, Lumajang, and Probolinggo regencies. However, by evening, the intensity of the fire had decreased, although several hotspots and embers were still found.
“Since receiving information about the fire on 3 August 2026 in the upper Watu Gede area, we immediately dispatched a team to the location. The support of the drone water spray has been very helpful in the firefighting process, in addition to cooperation from the TNI, Polri, TNBTS, volunteers, and various other parties. As of this afternoon, several hotspots have been successfully extinguished,” said Gatot on Thursday.
To accelerate the handling, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) began deploying a water bombing helicopter today. The helicopter is collecting water supplies from the Ranu Pani area in Lumajang before conducting water drops on the remaining hotspots in the Mount Bromo area.