Semeru wildfires extinguished after affecting more than 3,000 hectares

Forest and land fires around Mount Semeru in East Java have been extinguished after combined ground and air operations, but officials are still calculating the full affected area.

Isnugroho, head of the Lumajang district disaster management agency, said the extinguishing operation ended on Sept. 5 after crews found no remaining hotspots. The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park authority is expected to continue patrols.

Based on information from the national park authority, about 3,072 hectares had been affected by Sept. 1. The figure remains provisional because officials are still assessing several areas. The damage is spread across multiple blocks of the park. The largest affected zone surrounds Ranu Kumbolo, covering about 1,887 hectares.

Other reported areas include the Dingklik, Pacis Bincil, Kedaluh and Penanjakan blocks, where about 211.24 hectares burned, and Bantengan, Watangan, Jantur and B29, which together accounted for about 881.78 hectares. The area in Krepelan Block, Ranupani village, was still being measured.

Steep mountain terrain made aerial firefighting necessary. The PK-DAP helicopter operated by the East Java disaster agency made 35 flights and dropped around 35,000 liters of water. The operation was temporarily halted by fog and strong winds that affected flight safety.

Ground teams wet the affected areas to prevent embers from reigniting. Lumajang disaster teams also moved toward Krepelan Block with water sprayers and blowers, while rapid-response personnel patrolled for new hotspots.

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We coordinated with the Regional III National Park Management Section of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in Lumajang because, as of Sept. 5, the operation was declared complete since there were no longer any hotspots. Patrols will be carried out by the national park authority next.