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Mount Bromo Savanna Turns Black After Wildfire Burns 176 Hectares
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Mount Bromo Savanna Turns Black After Wildfire Burns 176 Hectares

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A wildfire has turned the savanna landscape of Mount Bromo in East Java, Indonesia, black.
  • The fire, which started on Monday, has consumed approximately 176.2 hectares of vegetation and continues to spread.
  • Tourist access to parts of the national park has been closed since August 3rd, with firefighting efforts ongoing.

The usually green savanna of Mount Bromo in East Java has been scorched black by a wildfire that began on Monday. The blaze has already consumed an estimated 176.2 hectares of vegetation within the national park, with active fire hotspots still present in several locations.

The area burned is approximately 176.20 hectares, and the data is still developing.

— Satriyo NursenoHead of Emergency and Logistics for the East Java Provincial Disaster Mitigation Agency, reporting on the extent of the wildfire.

Satriyo Nurseno, head of emergency and logistics for the East Java Provincial Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), reported the affected area and noted that it is still potentially growing. Firefighting operations are ongoing, with combined teams from various regional BPBDs, the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) authority, forest rangers, and volunteer fire brigades working to extinguish the remaining flames.

The affected vegetation includes mountain pine, edelweiss, acacia, and shrubs.

— Satriyo NursenoDescribing the types of plants consumed by the fire in the savanna landscape.

The areas of Bantengan Block, Watu Gede Block, and Pusung Jantur, popular spots for tourists, are now barren landscapes of ash and burnt remnants. Affected vegetation includes mountain pine, edelweiss, acacia, and shrubs. The fire has led to the closure of parts of the national park since August 3rd, with no set reopening date.

The hotspots are located on the caldera slope, which has steep contours and strong winds.

— Satriyo NursenoExplaining the challenges faced during the firefighting operations.

Firefighting is hampered by the steep caldera slopes and strong winds. Hotspots are currently concentrated on the eastern side of the caldera, moving towards Bukit B29. While fires in the northern area of Sariwani Village and Bukit Jantur have been declared extinguished, smoke plumes are still visible. The TNBTS has not yet calculated the ecological or vegetation damage, stating that expert assessment is required.

We have not calculated the losses yet, as experts are needed to assess the damage to plants, grass, and other elements.

— Rudijanta Tjahja NugrahaHead of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, explaining the need for expert evaluation of the fire's impact.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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