PKB Legislator Calls for Drone Technology to Be Optimised to Extinguish Bromo Forest Fires

A member of the House of Representatives Commission IV, Daniel Johan, has expressed concern over the forest and land fire incident in the Mount Bromo area, East Java, and urged that firefighting efforts be supported by technology. He stated that the difficult terrain in some parts of the Tengger region makes it hard for ground teams to reach, making water bombing a suitable immediate option. Johan encouraged field officers to utilise drones to monitor hotspots, noting that this would also reduce the risk of personnel entering hazardous areas. He explained that real-time hotspot monitoring via drones could accurately map the fire’s spread while minimising the need for ground personnel to enter high-risk zones, and that the data could serve as a basis for prioritising water bombing targets to make them more effective and precise. He also called for strengthened coordination between the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency, the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Authority, the military, the police, and volunteers to prevent overlapping efforts or missed areas. Commission IV also urged the central government to ensure adequate budget and logistical support for field personnel, stressing that their safety must be the top priority in such extreme terrain. Johan expressed hope for a comprehensive evaluation of forest fire mitigation preparedness in conservation areas, including investment in early warning systems based on drones and satellites, to prevent similar incidents from recurring every dry season, especially given the predicted prolonged El Niño this year. It is known that officers are still working to extinguish the fire in the Bromo area, which has now spread to approximately 520 hectares, with three water bombing helicopters deployed to assist the operation.