Indonesia National Park Fire: Bromo Wildfire Traps Volunteers, Four Killed, Two Suffer Severe Burns

Malang, Indonesia— Wildfires sweeping through Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park trapped a group of volunteers on October 20, killing four and leaving two others with severe burns as flames cut off escape routes.

The volunteers were part of a local conservation team clearing dry brush and maintaining firebreaks near the savanna. East Java has been under drought conditions for weeks. Grasses in the park were tinder dry. Around noon, winds shifted. A fire that had been burning on a ridge jumped a containment line.

Park officials said the six volunteers were working in a valley near Jemplang. Radio contact was lost at 1:15 p.m. A search team was sent. They found four bodies charred beyond recognition near a burnt-out motorbike. Two survivors were found crawling toward a stream with burns over most of their bodies. They were carried out on stretchers.

The two injured volunteers were taken to Saiful Anwar Hospital in Malang. Doctors said both have third-degree burns and inhalation injuries. One is on a ventilator. A hospital spokesperson said, "Their condition is extremely critical. The next 24 hours will be decisive." Families have gathered outside the burn unit.

Bromo Tengger Semeru is Indonesia's most visited national park. The landscape of volcanic sand, savanna, and pine forest draws thousands of tourists. But it burns almost every dry season. This year, fires have already scorched more than 2,000 hectares. Officials blame illegal burns by farmers and discarded cigarettes, as well as prolonged dry weather linked to El Nino.

Volunteers are often the first line of defense. They are unpaid, equipped with little more than machetes and backpack sprayers. A former park ranger said the team had no fire shelters or protective clothing. "They are brave, but they are sent into dangerous terrain with nothing," he said. The park authority said an investigation is underway into safety protocols.

The fire continued to spread into the afternoon. Smoke blanketed the caldera. Tourists were evacuated from viewing points at Penanjakan and King Kong Hill. Authorities closed the park to all visitors. The military deployed two helicopters for water bombing. By evening, officials said the main fire front was still active and moving toward forest areas.

The national disaster agency said 15 fire hotspots remain active across East Java. Weather forecast shows no rain for at least a week. The head of the park said the priority is to prevent the fire from reaching the Tengger villages inside the park. Those villages are home to several hundred families.

Tonight, the park gate is closed. The smell of smoke hangs over Probolinggo and Malang. The bodies of the four dead volunteers are at the hospital morgue awaiting identification.