Indonesia battles Mount Bromo wildfire on Java island as El Nino takes root
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
The wildfire that has swept through Mount Bromo National Park has destroyed more than 120ha of land to date.
PHOTO: AFP
- A wildfire has destroyed over 127 hectares of Mount Bromo National Park in East Java, Indonesia, forcing the closure of this popular tourist site.
- Firefighters use water-bombing helicopters but struggle due to steep terrain and dry conditions caused by El Nino.
- Indonesia faces a severe dry season with increased wildfire risks as 2026's El Nino intensifies, having already doubled land burned this year compared to 2023.
AI generated
MALANG, Indonesia – The Indonesian authorities on Aug 7 battled to contain a wildfire that has swept through Mount Bromo National Park on Java island, destroying more than 120ha as the country braces itself for an extreme El Nino-fuelled dry season.
The fire started on Aug 3 near Mount Bromo in East Java, one of Indonesia’s most visited tourist destinations but now closed until further notice.
The local authorities deployed two water-bombing helicopters against the flames that have razed at least 127ha of national park land to date, said fire official Bambang Setyo Antoko.
The destroyed area is equivalent to about 180 soccer fields.
“We’re very dependent on wind conditions,” Bambang said of the firefighting effort ahead.
National park official Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha said the area on fire was in a steep, cliffside region, making it difficult to reach.
It was not known how the fire started, but Bambang said the park was extremely dry as El Nino conditions take root in Indonesia.
Mount Bromo, famed for its volcanic scenery, previously caught fire in 2023.
That blaze broke out when a couple lit a flare during a pre-wedding photo shoot and destroyed more than 500ha of land.
Indonesia’s BMKG weather agency has warned that the 2026 dry season will be more intense and prolonged than usual, with a higher risk for wildfires and drought due in part to El Nino.
According to the Ministry of Forestry, more than 107,000ha of land burned in Indonesia between January and June 2026 – more than double the area destroyed in forest fires in 2023.
The last El Nino helped make 2023 and 2024 the two hottest years globally on record.
El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns.
In India and South-east Asia, it typically causes drier conditions. AFP
