MOUNT BROMO — Indonesia intensified its nationwide wildfire response on Monday, August 10, 2026, deploying close to 50,000 personnel and dozens of aircraft to combat blazes fueled by El Niño-driven dry conditions. The largest blaze is burning in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province, where authorities have closed the site to visitors until further notice.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said Indonesia intensified efforts on Monday to combat wildfires across the archipelago. Scores of firefighters backed by 43 helicopters have been deployed to battle wildfires across Indonesia as of that date.

About 743 hectares (1,836 acres) of land have been scorched in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The fire in the park has destroyed about 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of land since starting nine days prior to Tuesday, August 11, 2026. On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, firefighters were among more than 150 personnel working to extinguish what remained of a blaze at the park.

The fire in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park now covers about 2 hectares (5 acres). Flames in the park have spread to the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint for tourists visiting Mount Bromo. The blaze has burned large areas of dry grassland, vegetation and protected edelweiss flowers.

Park chief Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha said the closure of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park would remain in effect until further notice. "This closure is a crucial step to maintain safety of visitors, staff and people in the surrounding areas," the park operator said on its Instagram page. No injuries or evacuations have been reported in relation to the Mount Bromo wildfire.

Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, police officers, park rangers and volunteers worked to contain the blaze in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Water-bombing helicopters and water-spraying drones were deployed to help battle the fire. At least three helicopters have been deployed for water-bombing operations over hot spots that are difficult to reach by land.

Ground crews are carrying out manual firefighting, cooling operations, patrols and constructing firebreaks to prevent the flames from spreading further. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said steep terrain, whipping winds and the fire’s location in forested areas had made it difficult for firefighters to reach the blaze in Mount Bromo by foot.

"These conditions make air operations crucial to reach areas that cannot be accessed optimally by land," Muhari said. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said while visiting Mount Bromo on Sunday that authorities are relying solely on water bombing and ground firefighting teams because cloud-seeding was ruled out due to unfavorable weather conditions.

"We continue to coordinate efforts to address and anticipate forest and land fires," Antoni said while visiting the park on Sunday. Antoni urged the public to avoid activities that could spark new blazes, including discarding cigarette butts and clearing land by burning.

Chaniago said weather-modification, or cloud-seeding, operations are considered one of the most effective ways to help firefighters combat wildfires by inducing rainfall through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds. He told a news conference on Monday that scientific monitoring found no rain-bearing clouds suitable for weather-modification operations through August 18.

"That is why we closely monitor even small changes in the weather. Whenever something is likely to produce rain clouds, we immediately carry [cloud seeding operations] out," he said addressing reporters on Monday. He warned on Monday that arid conditions increased the likelihood of fires spreading.

"We are on alert because the weather conditions really make it possible for these fires to become larger," he said. Wildfires have been reported in the provinces of Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, and Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island. Officials are prioritizing tackling blazes in six provinces: Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, as well as West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island.

48,890 hectares of peatland are ablaze in those regions. Almost 6,000 firefighters have been deployed to battle wildfires in Jambi province. In Jambi province, more than 50 hectares (124 acres) of peatland have burned, causing choking haze in some areas. The largest fire in Jambi province has been reported in the village of Sungai Gelam in the Muaro Jambi district, where dozens of hectares of palm oil plantations owned by local residents have been destroyed.

The blaze in Sungai Gelam, Muaro Jambi district, has burned since Wednesday, August 5, 2026. About 300 firefighters and disaster personnel have been deployed to battle the fire there. Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated firefighting efforts in Jambi province, even with three helicopters conducting aerial firefighting operations.

A forest and land fire broke out in Central Java’s Banyumas Regency on Friday, August 7, 2026. The fire in Banyumas Regency was triggered by land-clearing activities and spread rapidly to surrounding areas, fueled by dry conditions. In West Java, a fire broke out recently in the Suryakencana Meadow area of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park. Authorities temporarily closed hiking trails to Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango due to the fire in Suryakencana Meadow.

Malaysia has reported unhealthy air-quality levels in parts of Sarawak state on Borneo island, with officials saying winds were carrying smoke from hot spots in neighboring areas. In Singapore, authorities have warned that prevailing southeasterly winds could carry smoke toward the city-state, with dry conditions expected to prevail. Dozens of schools remain closed for a second day on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, due to poor air quality caused by the blazes.

In West Kalimantan, the mayor of Pontianak, Edi Rusdi Kamtono, ordered schools closed due to smoke wafting over the city from fires elsewhere. "Children will learn from home for as long as air quality remains poor," Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono said in a statement on Monday. More than 107,000 hectares (264,000 acres) of land across Indonesia burned between January and June 2026.

The area burned in Indonesia from January to June 2026 was double the area burned in all of 2023. The area burned in Indonesia from January to June 2026 marked an increase of 110 percent compared with the same period in 2023. Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said August and September are expected to be the most critical months as dry vegetation and strong winds create favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

Indonesia’s BMKG weather agency said the 2026 dry season will be more intense and prolonged than usual, with a higher risk of wildfires and drought due in part to El Nino. Strengthening El Nino conditions have raised the risk of more forest and land fires during the peak dry season. El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns.

El Nino typically causes drier conditions in India and Southeast Asia. The last El Nino helped make 2023 and 2024 the two hottest years on record globally. Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out during dry spells. Wildfires in Indonesia are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting.

Cloud seeding involves spraying chemicals such as silver iodide and salt into clouds, which can increase rainfall by up to 15 percent. More than a dozen aircraft have been deployed across Indonesia as part of cloud-seeding efforts.