Two Helicopters Deployed to Extinguish 80-Hectare Bromo Fire

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) will deploy two water-bombing helicopters and a fleet of drones to extinguish a forest and land fire in the Mount Bromo area, East Java, which has spread to 80 hectares. This aerial firefighting measure was taken because the extreme terrain is difficult for joint ground personnel to reach. The fire, which began in the Bantengan Block, Senduro District, Lumajang Regency on Monday afternoon (3/8), has now spread to the Watu Gede area, Probolinggo Regency, as of Wednesday (5/8). BNPB Head Lt. Gen. TNI Suharyanto stated that aerial operations are targeted to begin by Thursday (6/8) at the latest. He noted that the type of helicopter deployed, such as Mi or Sikorsky, will depend on availability, as BNPB is simultaneously conducting firefighting operations in six other provinces: South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. Suharyanto explained that based on the 2023 Bromo fire incident, two water-bombing helicopters were deemed sufficient and effective. He also mentioned that weather modification operations cannot be executed in the coming days due to a lack of rain cloud growth, according to coordination with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). To optimise efforts in vulnerable spots, the joint team is combining helicopters with drone technology. The Head of the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Gatot Soebroto, stated that a drone with a 150-litre capacity is being used specifically to extinguish hidden embers in hard-to-reach locations.