The Ministry of Forestry's Raja Juli Antoni has ordered the temporary total closure of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in East Java following a fire that has swept through the conservation area. As of Sunday, the area affected by the fire was estimated to have reached 520 hectares, according to a statement from the Ministry of Forestry.
Raja Juli said the closure was intended to allow all parties to focus their attention on extinguishing the fire and preventing new fires in other locations. The safety of the public and personnel was the primary consideration in this decision, Raja Juli said.
To accelerate firefighting efforts, the government deployed three helicopters to conduct water bombing at fire points in areas with steep terrain and difficult for ground forces to access. Personnel on the ground continued direct firefighting and created firebreaks to limit the spread of the fire.
Raja Juli conducted an inspection together with the Commander of Military Region V/Brawijaya Major General Rudy Saladin and East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak to ensure coordination between the central government, regional government, the military, police and related elements was running optimally. Emil said aerial firefighting was currently being prioritised in the B29 peak area, which lies on the easternmost side of TNBTS, while several previously burnt locations had been successfully extinguished.
The firefighting operation faced weather constraints and water availability challenges, according to Emil. Ground forces remained in place to monitor and anticipate the possibility of fire spots reappearing, he said.
