Probolinggo Police Deploy Personnel to Help Extinguish Bromo Forest Fire

The Probolinggo Resort Police (Polres) have deployed a number of personnel to help extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) on Mount Bromo in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) area.

“Our personnel are placed in several sectors so that the spread of the fire can be controlled as quickly as possible while also localising the fire spots so they do not spread to a wider area,” said Probolinggo Police Chief AKBP Asmida Rizki Siregar at Mount Bromo on Wednesday.

According to him, Probolinggo Police personnel are assisting to accelerate the handling of forest fires in the area.

“At least 150 joint personnel consisting of members of the Probolinggo Police, the TNBTS Central Office, Sekarpuro Military Command, Probolinggo Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and volunteers have been deployed to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading further,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Probolinggo Police Chief stressed that the safety of officers remains a priority during firefighting operations, given the steep terrain and strong wind conditions.

“Firefighting efforts are carried out manually using fire beaters and the creation of firebreaks,” he said.

Meanwhile, Probolinggo Deputy Police Chief Kompol Yanuar Rizal Ardhianto said this was done because the terrain is steep and difficult for fire engines to reach.

“Strong winds blowing in the mountainous area as well as dry vegetation in the form of grass and shrubs due to the dry season are the main challenges in the firefighting process in the Mount Bromo area,” he said.

He said these conditions cause the fire to spread quickly to other points, especially in the slope and caldera areas of Mount Bromo.

To date, the fire in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) area has reportedly burned dry vegetation spread from the caldera area, slopes to the foot of the mountain.

Yanuar also urged the public and tourists not to carry out activities that could potentially trigger fires, such as lighting fires or discarding cigarette butts carelessly in the TNBTS area.

“We invite the entire community to jointly protect the Bromo area by not carrying out activities that could trigger fires. If you find a fire spot, immediately report it to officers so that handling can be carried out more quickly,” he said.