A forest and land fire (karhutla) has reportedly hit the Mount Ringgit Block area, which falls under the administrative region of Sapikerep Village, Sukapura District, Probolinggo Regency. The incident in the buffer zone of Mount Bromo was first detected on Saturday (25/7) in the early hours around 02:00 WIB and still left several hotspots active until the afternoon.
Direct firefighting efforts face major obstacles due to the extremely steep topography of the location. The hotspots are located on very steep hill slopes and cliffs, endangering the safety of officers if they force themselves to approach. As a result, the joint team is currently only able to stand by and monitor from a safe distance.
Head of the Kedasih Forest Management Resort (RPH) of Perhutani Probolinggo, Amir Machmud, explained that the dry weather at the beginning of the dry season is suspected to be the main trigger for the fire. He confirmed that the safety of the crew is the top priority, given that the terrain at the fire site is impossible to penetrate manually.
To anticipate the spread, joint officers from the Probolinggo Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) along with Perhutani continue to monitor the movement of the fire. Authorities project that the fire will subside naturally once the flames reach natural barriers or when the supply of dry vegetation around the cliffs has been completely burned.
