Indonesia Wildfires: Mount Bromo Fire Contained as Haze Sparks School Closures

Indonesian firefighters have mostly contained a wildfire that scorched nearly 900 hectares of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on the main island of Java, according to park authorities. The blaze forced the closure of the popular tourist destination and volcanic landscape as crews battled active hot spots and smoke triggered school closures in other regions.

Mount Bromo Wildfire Damage and Containment Efforts

The wildfire began last week and impacted 900 hectares across the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, destroying large areas of dry grassland, vegetation, and protected edelweiss flowers, according to Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, head of the East Java park. Active hot spots remained in four specific areas within the park: Watangan, Argowulan, Dingklik-Pakis, and Bincil-Mungal. Firefighting teams deployed ground operations and aerial support to prevent flare-ups and ensure the fire is completely extinguished, Nugraha said.

Broader Wildfire Crisis Across Indonesia

The Mount Bromo fire coincides with a severe wildfire season driven by dry conditions. According to the National Disaster Management Agency, known as BNPB, nearly 48,900 hectares of peatland burned across six fire-prone provinces as of Monday. The largest affected area is located in West Kalimantan on Borneo island, where peat fires continue to smoulder underground long after surface flames disappear, according to BNPB chief Suharyanto. The agency deployed more than 35 aircraft, including water-bombing helicopters and patrol airplanes, to support ground crews on Sumatra and Borneo.

Haze Spreads Regional Health Concerns

Dense smoke from the peatland and forest fires created hazardous haze conditions that affected air quality and regional health. In the West Kalimantan provincial capital of Pontianak, schools suspended in-person classes after air quality reached unhealthy levels and health officials recorded an increase in respiratory illnesses, according to BNPB. Satellite imagery tracked wildfire smoke drifting from West Kalimantan into neighboring Malaysia, worsening air quality in Sarawak state where the Malaysia Department of Environment recorded unhealthy air quality levels across 11 areas, prompting the Sarawak government to halt outdoor school activities.