Indonesia Closes Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Due to Devastating Wildfire

Authorities in Indonesia closed the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java until further notice on Saturday due to a wildfire that has scorched some 176 hectares (435 acres) of land on Mount Bromo since it began on Monday. The blaze, one of several currently burning across Indonesia, has mobilized hundreds of firefighters, park rangers, police, soldiers and volunteers at one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations. What do we know about the wildfires situation in Indonesia? Helicopters and drones are in use in the air and firebreaks are being created by crews on the ground. Officials describe the situation as challenging, pointing to high winds and rough terrain, with many areas difficult to access on steep volcanic slopes. "These conditions make air operations important to reach areas that cannot be accessed optimally by land," one official said. Dry conditions and winds are fueling the spread of the flames according to Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency. Authorities say the fire was sparked during land clearing work. Though fires — often illegally started by plantation owners and farmers to clear for planting — are common in the region, the current El Nino weather pattern and seasonal dry winds from Australia have combined to make this year especially prone to wildfire and drought. Indonesia has lost more than 107,000 hectares of land to fire in the first half of 2026, over twice the area destroyed in wildfires in 2023, when the last El-Nino pattern started. Edited by: Rana Taha