Mount Bromo's park is closed as the fire nearly triples in three days

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java closed to visitors on Saturday and will stay shut until further notice, park chief Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha said. People who had already bought tickets are being refunded. The fire started on Monday, had burned about 60 hectares by Thursday, and reached roughly 176 hectares by Sunday. Hundreds of firefighters, disaster agency staff, police, soldiers, rangers and volunteers were sent in on Sunday.

Getting to the fire is the hard part. It is burning on steep, wooded ground, and strong winds keep pushing it, so crews on foot cannot reach much of the fire line. Helicopters are dropping water and drones are spraying it from above. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the national disaster agency BNPB, said the conditions "make air operations crucial to reach areas that cannot be accessed optimally by land." The park operator said closing the gates was needed to keep visitors, staff and nearby residents safe.

This is not one unlucky mountain. BMKG, the state weather agency, says this year's dry season is unusually harsh because of El Nino, the Pacific warming pattern that pulls rain away from Indonesia. About 1,070 square kilometres of land has burned across the country in 2026, more than twice the total for 2023. Bromo burned before, in 2023, when more than 500 hectares went up after a couple set off a flare during a wedding photo shoot. The difference this year is the background conditions: dry ground and wind turn a small fire into a large one much faster.

Why it matters

Bromo is one of East Java's main draws, so the closure lands first on the guides, jeep drivers, homestay owners and food sellers around the park, who lose income for as long as the gates stay shut. If you have a trip booked, ask about the refund now rather than waiting. The wider warning is in the national number: with the driest months still ahead, expect more fires, more smoke, and the poor air that comes with them, especially if you have asthma or a young child at home.