Indonesia closes Mount Bromo as wildfire spreads across national park

Authorities closed the Mount Bromo area inside Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java to all tourist activities after a wildfire spread across one of Java’s best-known volcanic landscapes. The blaze, which began on Monday, Aug. 3, had burned at least 176 hectares, or 435 acres, by Aug. 9.

The closure hit a park famous for its crater, sea-of-sand terrain and sunrise views, and it carried immediate consequences for tourism and nearby livelihoods. A partial shutdown had already been imposed earlier, with entry blocked from the Malang and Lumajang routes as flames advanced through dry ground inside the park.

Firefighting remained difficult because strong winds and rough terrain made the blaze harder to extinguish. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, BNPB, sent airplanes and hundreds of firefighters on Sunday, Aug. 9, to battle the fire as crews tried to slow its spread across the protected landscape.

The scale of the fire widened quickly. On Aug. 6, at least 60 hectares had already burned, showing how rapidly flames can move through open parkland around Mount Bromo. By Aug. 9, the burned area had nearly tripled, deepening concern over damage to habitat, smoke exposure and the risk of longer-term degradation in a park that depends on both conservation and visitor traffic.

Mount Bromo sits within Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, a major tourism destination in East Java and one of Indonesia’s most recognizable natural attractions. The park’s temporary closure underscores how a single blaze can disrupt access to a high-profile site, strain emergency crews and put pressure on local economies tied to travel, guiding and hospitality.

Officials also handed the forest-fire investigation to authorities on Aug. 9, setting up a formal review of how the fire started and spread. The response now centers on containment and on limiting further damage to a landscape that is central to both tourism and environmental protection in eastern Java.