Malang, en.SERU.co.id – Four personnel were killed in a fire in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) area, specifically in Pusung Lingker, Probolinggo Regency, on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Two other personnel suffered severe burns and had to be referred to a hospital in Surabaya. This tragic incident occurred when strong winds trapped six personnel in the middle of the flames while they were trying to prevent the fire from spreading.
Head of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Office (BB TNBTS) of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha SHut MSc, expressed deep condolences over the deaths of the four personnel. His side continues to coordinate with related agencies to ensure the handling of the victims who are still being treated.
“This fire started on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Around 14.23 WIB, TNBTS officers received information from the Head of Ngadas Village regarding a fire in residents’ fields around the Pusung Dawa Block. Which borders the national park area in the Ngadirejo Village area, Probolinggo Regency,” said Rudijanta in his release on Friday, 16 October 2026.
Officers immediately headed to the location and coordinated with the village government. Residents together with village officials also helped extinguish the fire.
“The difficult terrain made the work not easy. The fire location was far from water sources and difficult for spray machines to reach. Officers and residents then relied on gebyok tools to dampen the flames manually,” he said.
The fire had spread into the national park area. Amid the steep terrain and limited access, extinguishing efforts continued. The fire was finally successfully extinguished on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, around 11.45 WIB.
Officers did not immediately leave the location. Monitoring continued until night to ensure there was no more fire or remaining smoke. However, the hidden embers had apparently not completely given up.
On Thursday morning, October 15, 2026, thick smoke was again visible from the Cemoro Lawang Karhut Post. Four guard officers moved to the location to carry out extinguishing. The size of the blaze made them need assistance. Additional personnel were then deployed, including officers from PT Mitra Indo Permai (MIP).
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Trapped Amid the Flames
The team was divided into two squads. Some moved on the left side, while others took positions on the right side of the fire. They tried to create firebreaks so that the blaze would not spread further into the Mentingen area, Probolinggo Regency.
Around 13.00 WIB, the situation changed in a short time. Strong winds accompanied the fire and trapped six personnel in the middle of the flames. Five other personnel managed to save themselves because they were on the side opposite to the direction of the fire’s movement.
Amid the deteriorating conditions, the six people were in a situation that threatened their safety. The extinguishing efforts that were originally aimed at controlling the fire were now accompanied by a struggle to escape the surrounding blaze.
“After the fire subsided, a search was immediately carried out. Around 13.30 WIB, three personnel were found dead at the scene,” explained Rudijanta.
They were Sukaris, a Civil Servant Operational Service Operator at Section PTN Region I BB TNBTS. Then Wisnu Yuda Pratama, a staff member of PT Mitra Indo Permai, and Seferiel Ardiansyah, who also worked at the company.
Meanwhile, another personnel, Hendra Rony Wagyianata, a Manggala Agni TNBTS under the Ministry of Forestry, was found in a severely injured condition. He was immediately evacuated to Tongas Regional General Hospital for intensive care.
However, around three hours after undergoing treatment, Hendra was declared dead. The four people who had set out to help extinguish the fire ultimately did not return alive.
Two Personnel Still Undergoing Treatment
In addition to the four deceased victims, two other personnel suffered severe burns. They were Munawi, a member of the Fire Concern Community. Then Suraji, a security personnel of PT Mitra Indo Permai.
Both were referred to Dr. Soetomo Regional General Hospital in Surabaya to obtain further medical treatment. The four deceased victims were evacuated together with the Probolinggo Police Resort to Tongas General Hospital to undergo the post-mortem process. (aan/mzm)
Indonesian Version:
Empat Personel Gugur dan Dua Luka Bakar Berat Usai Berjuang Saat Kebakaran di TNBTS
