Pasuruan Regency Deploys Six Fire Engines to Combat Bromo Tengger Semeru Forest Fire

The Pasuruan Regency Government in East Java has deployed six fire engines and six water tankers for manual firefighting as a forest and land fire continues to rage in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS).

Sugeng Hariyadi, Chief Executive of the Pasuruan Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), stated that the fire, which initially burned the Bukit Dingklik area, has now spread to the Bukit Cinta tourist site. “The fire is still ongoing today, now spreading to Bukit Cinta. The flames are quite large and spreading very quickly. We have deployed six fire engines and six water tankers for manual firefighting,” he said on Wednesday.

On the eleventh day of the incident, he explained that the joint task force is increasing vigilance to prevent the flames from spreading to other vital tourist areas, such as Bukit Kingkong and Puncak Penanjakan. He noted that firefighting efforts are being conducted on the ground using the fleet and long hoses, while aerial support using water-bombing helicopters has been deployed to reach hotspots that are difficult for personnel to access.

Sugeng stated that the mountainous terrain and limited water supply are obstacles, forcing personnel to source water from lower areas to support the firefighting operation. To date, the firefighting helicopter has conducted at least five water-dropping manoeuvres, carrying approximately one thousand litres of water in each attempt to douse the hotspots. “We are struggling with the water supply because of the mountainous location, but we will continue to work hard to extinguish the fire and prevent it from reaching residential areas,” he said.