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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Mount Ijen Wildfire Spreads as Steep Terrain Hampers Firefighting

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • A forest and land fire on Mount Ijen has spread from the Mount Merapi Ungup-Ungup area to Pos 4 on the Ijen Crater hiking trail.
  • Steep terrain, limited vehicle access and water supplies, and strong winds have complicated efforts by joint teams and volunteers to contain the blaze.
  • East Java’s conservation agency has temporarily closed tourism and hiking in the area, while workers moved hundreds of tourist transport carts to safety.

Fire has spread across Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, reaching the hiking route toward Ijen Crater as joint teams and volunteers struggle to contain it.

The blaze originated in the Mount Merapi Ungup-Ungup area and had reached Pos 4 on the TWA Kawah Ijen hiking trail by Friday, September 4, 2026. Strong winds have helped the fire spread, while the steep terrain has made suppression difficult.

Firefighters also face limited access for vehicles and restricted water supplies. The conditions have raised concerns for the forest and hiking route as efforts continue to prevent the flames from moving farther through the area.

The fire has disrupted tourism around Ijen. The East Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency has suspended visits and hiking until further notice for visitor safety. Workers who operate tourist transport carts evacuated hundreds of the carts from the parking area to a safer location to protect them from the flames.

About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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