Forest and Land Fires Still Encircle Four Mountains in East Java

Forest and land fires (karhutla) in a number of mountainous areas across East Java were still ongoing as of Monday (19 October). Fires were still reported to be burning in the areas of Mount Bromo, Mount Sigiran, Mount Arjuno-Welirang (also known as Ringgit), and the mountainous regions of Situbondo.

Satriyo Nurseno, Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division at the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), said that in the Mount Bromo area, Probolinggo Regency, the fire – which started on Bukit Kembang last Thursday (15 October) – has now burnt an area of 75.37 hectares.

Satriyo said that the joint team’s main focus at present is to contain the spread of the fire, which continues to expand as it is driven and carried by strong winds.

“At present, there are still plumes of smoke and significant flames. The main challenge on the ground is the strong wind, which is causing the fire to spread rapidly. The joint team will continue their fire-fighting efforts in the Bromo area,” said Satriyo.

The fire in the Bromo area, or Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS), has previously claimed the lives of four members of the joint task force and left two others seriously injured.

“The area affected by the fire is 75.37 hectares,” he said.

Furthermore, Satriyo said that forest and land fires had also struck the Mount Sigiran area in Mojokerto Regency. The hotspots that appeared above Surga Cendono last week are still visible.

He explained that the extreme mountainous terrain made it difficult for officers to reach the centre of the fire, forcing them to focus on preventing the fire from spreading in the lower areas.

“We are unable to carry out manual fire-fighting operations due to the hard-to-reach location of the fire and the steep terrain. The joint team will continue manual fire-fighting operations in areas accessible by land, as well as creating firebreaks and fire barriers,” said Satriyo.

A similar situation is being experienced by the team carrying out fire-fighting operations in the Arjuno-Welirang area, specifically on Mount Ringgit in Pasuruan.

The fire, which was first detected last Friday (16 October), still has a number of active hotspots. Hundreds of personnel from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Tahura, Perhutani and members of the local community remain on standby to contain the spread of the fire.

“To date, hotspots and fire points are still being monitored in the Mount Ringgit area. The joint team will today continue operations at the scene by carrying out manual fire-fighting activities and creating firebreaks in accessible areas,” said Satriyo.

Meanwhile, Satriyo stated that three fire hotspots were also detected in the Tamankursi area of Situbondo, with some spreading into the Probolinggo and Jember regions.

“Personnel from the East Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the Situbondo District BPBD team are carrying out an assessment and coordinating with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA). The joint team is continuing to monitor the fire situation remotely,” said Satriyo.