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View all search resultsFour killed fighting wildfire in Mount Bromo National Park
Wildfire-fighting operations have claimed at least eight lives nationwide this year amid a severe fire season.
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Wildfire flames and smoke rise above a forest in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park near Mount Bromo in Probolinggo, East Java, on Aug. 10, 2026. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
F
our firefighters and volunteers died on Thursday while battling wildfires in Mount Bromo National Park in East Java, bringing the reported death toll from wildfire-fighting operations across the country this year to at least eight people.
According to authorities, the incident began at about 9 a.m. local time, when a team of 12 firefighters and volunteers responded to reports of fires on Kembang Hill in Sukapura district.
The team split into two groups to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading. At about 1 p.m., a sudden change in wind direction trapped six personnel amid flames and thick smoke, while the other six escaped because they were positioned on the opposite side of the fire.
East Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Jules Abraham Abast said search and rescue efforts were launched after the flames subsided.
“Three victims were found dead at the scene, while three others suffered burns and were immediately taken to Tongas Regional General Hospital in Probolinggo regency,” Abast said on Friday.
The three victims who died at the scene were identified as Sukaris, 55, an official at the national park, Wisnu Yuda Pratama, 25, a volunteer who also worked as a security guard at a nearby hotel, and Sefriel Ardiansyah, 19, a volunteer and competitive rock climber from Probolinggo.
Abast said Hendra Rony Wagiyanata, a junior forest firefighter at the national park, was among those initially reported to have survived but later died while receiving treatment at the hospital.
