4 Dead After Wildfire Traps Firefighters in Indonesian National Park

Four people died and two others suffered severe burns after being trapped by a wildfire in Indonesia's Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, officials said Friday. The blaze erupted in recent days in the Mentigen and Pusung Lingker areas of the popular national park on Java island.

The victims were part of a 12-member firefighting team, including park personnel, community fire brigade members, and local volunteers, who were attempting to contain the wildfire on Thursday. Strong winds fanned the flames and caused the fire to spread quickly through dry vegetation. Around 1:30 p.m., firefighters outside the danger zone received an emergency call from colleagues who had become trapped by dense smoke and advancing flames, according to East Java police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast.

Rescuers later found three people dead and three others with severe burns at an evacuation point. One of the burn victims died while receiving treatment. The two volunteers who survived are hospitalized with serious burn injuries and have been transferred to Dr. Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya for specialized care. Six other team members escaped unharmed.

The incident occurred in a remote mountainous area, which complicated rescue efforts. Probolinggo police chief Asmida Rizki Siregar stated that emergency crews carried victims on stretchers for about 2 kilometers due to the steep terrain preventing vehicle access. Authorities completed the evacuation late Thursday and have launched an investigation into the deaths, examining whether negligence or criminal wrongdoing contributed to the tragedy.

The deaths occur as Indonesia intensifies efforts to combat forest and land fires, exacerbated this year by the intensifying El Niño phenomenon, which has worsened a prolonged dry season. Land clearance using fire, particularly in parts of Borneo and Sumatra islands, and water shortages have also contributed to the fires, hindering firefighters. Indonesia's Forestry Ministry reported 799 hotspots nationwide as of Thursday evening, a significant increase from 372 the previous day, with over three-quarters concentrated in fire-prone provinces on Sumatra and Borneo.

The smoke from these fires has created a health crisis in neighboring countries, with haze drifting as far as the Philippines. Malaysia ordered hundreds of schools closed in several states due to deteriorating air quality. Singapore has called for closer cooperation and stated that authorities are investigating companies allegedly linked to the fires, pursuing action under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act where warranted.

Between January and July, Indonesia's Forestry Ministry recorded more than 2,020 square kilometers of burned land. The Nusantara Atlas project, which monitors fires using satellite imagery, estimated that nearly 8,960 square kilometers of land had burned in Indonesia by the end of August.