The forest area on the Mount Slamet hiking trail, Central Java, was once again threatened by fire on Sunday (12/7/2026). The incident began when a hotspot was discovered around Post 9 of the Bambangan hiking trail, Kutabawa Village, Purbalingga, at 05:00 WIB.
Head of the Purbalingga Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Revon Haprindiat, explained that the fire was first noticed by three guides from a local basecamp who were accompanying hikers. They heard a crackling sound amidst the vegetation before eventually discovering flames that were growing larger and almost cutting off access to the hiking trail.
In the emergency situation, hikers at the location acted swiftly, working together to extinguish the fire using makeshift tools and their remaining drinking water reserves. Thanks to their quick action, the spread of the fire was halted, with the total burned area reaching only about 2 square meters. However, a guide named Andri was reported to have suffered minor burns while putting out the fire.
Local authorities strongly suspect that the sparks originated from a cigarette butt carelessly discarded by a passing hiker. Responding to this incident, BPBD Purbalingga has conducted intensive coordination with relevant parties to ensure the security of the forest area remains maintained.
The management of the Bambangan Post has now been asked to increase supervision and provide stricter education to every hiker regarding fire hazards. Revon emphasized the importance of awareness among all parties to comply with hiking rules to prevent similar incidents from recurring, which risk damaging the Mount Slamet ecosystem.
