Banyuwangi govt declares emergency over Ijen forest fire

hartono · Sep 6, 2026

Banyuwangi govt declares emergency over Ijen forest fire

The Banyuwangi district government in East Java Province has declared a 14-day emergency over a forest and land fire in the Ijen Crater Nature Tourism Park. /ANTARA/Budi Candra.

Banyuwangi, E Java (ANTARA) - The Banyuwangi district government in East Java Province has declared a 14-day emergency over a forest and land fire in the Ijen Crater Nature Tourism Park.

The emergency status was established under Banyuwangi District Head Ipuk Fiestiandani’s Decree No. 100.3.3.2/229/KEP/429.011/2026.

“We have declared a 14-day disaster emergency and signed the emergency response decree to accelerate the response,” she said in Banyuwangi on Saturday.

The Banyuwangi government has requested water-bombing helicopter support from the East Java Disaster Mitigation Agency and the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office.

Banyuwangi Disaster Mitigation Agency Chief Partana said an East Java agency water-bombing helicopter was scheduled to arrive at Ijen Crater on Sunday, September 6.

“Following coordination with the East Java agency, the helicopter will depart from Malang, land at Banyuwangi Airport, then fly to Paltuding at Ijen Crater for aerial firefighting,” he said.

The 14-day emergency status covers September 4-17, 2026, and may be extended depending on conditions and emergency response needs.

The fire was first detected in forest and plantation areas of Pasewaran, Kalipuro Subdistrict, on Wednesday (September 2), with authorities beginning a phased response.

The fire spread toward Pondok Bunder, a route leading to Ijen Crater, on Friday (September 4), prompting authorities to temporarily close the tourism park.