Mount Bromo closed to all visitors as fire pushes toward Malang

PROBOLINGGO, East Java: All tourist routes into Mount Bromo were closed on Saturday after a forest and land fire inside Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) spread into the Watangan Valley and began moving toward Malang regency.

The TNBTS authority halted entry through all four gates: Jemplang in Malang, Cemoro Lawang in Probolinggo, Wonokitri in Pasuruan and Senduro in Lumajang. The park normally admits a daily quota of 2,752 visitors.

The head of the TNBTS authority, Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, said the closure was imposed to make the suppression effort more effective, with access to the fire zone restricted to officers, partner agencies and volunteers taking part in the operation.

The closure runs until further notice and no reopening date has been set. Tourism at Ranu Regulo is exempt and remains open under existing rules.

The fire was first detected at about 4pm on Thursday in the Pengol savanna at Ngadas village, Sukapura district, before spreading toward Mount Kursi.

A combined team of 56 personnel from TNBTS, the Manggala Agni fire brigade and community fire-awareness groups was deployed, supported by eight Manggala Agni personnel from the Bali conservation agency and 15 from the forest fire control brigade. They worked with two water tankers, jet shooters and blowers, alongside water-bombing sorties run by the East Java provincial government.

A helicopter dropped about 17,000 litres of water over 17 sorties by midday on Friday, drawing from Ranu Pani in Senduro, Lumajang.

The flames advancing toward Bromo were put out by 6.30pm on Friday, but the fire on Mount Kursi was only brought under control and never fully extinguished.

Conditions worsened on Saturday when fresh hotspots flared again at Pengol. Strong winds drove the fire fast enough to reach the Jemplang post by 4.20pm.

The head of the Probolinggo disaster management agency, Oemar Sjarief, said the fire had already burned through the Watangan Valley and was moving in the direction of Malang.

“Strong winds are pushing the fire very quickly in two directions,” he said.

The Watangan Valley is better known to visitors as Teletubbies Hill and is among the most heavily visited spots in the park.

A long dry season has left grass and vegetation across the area parched, raising the risk of rapid spread whenever the wind picks up. Thick smoke has also cut visibility and hampered work on the ground.

Days before the latest fire, TNBTS temporarily suspended permits for commercial and non-commercial filming at Mount Bromo and the surrounding area, citing the heightened fire risk.

This is the second fire to hit the area in roughly a month. A blaze that began in the Bantengan block on 3 August spread to Watu Gede and destroyed more than 1,000 hectares of the park, with the official tally reported on 13 August reaching 1,069 hectares.

The area burned in the latest fire has yet to be determined.

The cause also remains under investigation. The public has been asked to stay out of the closed areas and wait for an official TNBTS announcement on when Mount Bromo will reopen.