Four dead and two badly burned as Indonesia wildfire traps crew in East Java

The death toll from a wildfire in East Java has risen to four, after a firefighting team was trapped by dense smoke and advancing flames in Semeru National Park. Two other people suffered serious burns and remain in hospital, according to officials. The blaze erupted in recent days in Probolinggo regency on Java, and smoke continued to spread across the region on Thursday.

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East Java police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast said the victims were part of a 12-person crew trying to contain the fire when they sent an emergency call from about 1:30pm local time, saying they had become trapped. Rescuers later found three people dead and three others with severe burns at an evacuation point, and one of the injured later died while receiving treatment. Two volunteers were transferred to Dr Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya for specialised care, while six others escaped unharmed.

Probolinggo police chief Asmida Rizki Siregar said the incident happened in a remote mountainous area, which made rescue efforts more difficult. Authorities said the evacuation was completed late on Thursday and an investigation had been launched into the deaths, including whether negligence or criminal wrongdoing played a role. The fire follows a major blaze in August that scorched nearly 9 square kilometres of grassland and vegetation in the same park, including protected edelweiss flowers.

The incident comes as Indonesia intensifies efforts to combat forest and land fires that have worsened this year during a prolonged dry season linked to El Nino. Officials have also pointed to land clearance using fire in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, as well as water shortages that have hampered firefighting operations. The wider fire season has already drawn in outside assistance, underlining the strain on local crews and the scale of the emergency.

The situation also has broader regional significance because smoke from Indonesian fires can travel across borders and affect air quality in neighbouring countries. The Forestry Ministry has recorded 799 hotspots nationwide, although officials caution that hotspots are not the same as fires and that one blaze can register as several points. The continuing smoke from Java adds to concern about how quickly the outbreak can be contained.

What remains unclear is whether the fire in Semeru National Park is now under control and whether the investigation will identify any preventable failures in the response. Officials have not said how long the smoke will continue to spread across East Java or whether further evacuations may be needed. The key issue now is whether crews can stop the fire without more casualties in difficult terrain and dry conditions.

Four people fighting a wildfire in a national park on Indonesia's island of Java have been killed, as the country confronts what officials describe as its worst forest fires in more than a decade. The deaths occurred on Thursday in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, according to the Forestry Ministry. Two other people suffered serious burns and are receiving medical treatment.

The ministry said the victims were caught in the flames while tackling the fire, but did not identify them. In a statement, it expressed deep condolences and praised the courage and dedication of officers, volunteers and residents working on the fire lines. It also said the deaths were a reminder that extinguishing forest and land fires is a high-risk operation, and stressed that safety must remain the main concern.

The fires are not confined to one area. The ministry said the worst-affected islands are Sumatra and Borneo, which lie close to Singapore and Malaysia, and satellite monitoring detected 799 high-confidence hotspots nationwide as of Thursday night, up from 372 the previous day. Officials cautioned that hotspots are not the same as fires, because one blaze can register as several points.

The ministry also said the fires have spread haze beyond Indonesia's borders. The disaster has wider regional implications because smoke from Indonesian fires has long been a cross-border issue in Southeast Asia. According to the supplied report, the haze has caused respiratory problems for hundreds of thousands of people and forced school closures in Malaysia and East Timor.

That makes the current outbreak not only a domestic emergency but also a regional public health and diplomatic concern. Indonesia has faced repeated criticism over forest and land fires, which are often linked to dry conditions and difficult terrain across the archipelago. The current situation is being watched closely because it comes amid a sharp rise in hotspots and a government decision to accept foreign help.

Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said President Prabowo Subianto had approved assistance from neighbouring countries. Malaysia had previously offered to send three helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel, while Singapore has also said it is ready to help. It remains unclear how quickly that support will be deployed and whether it will be enough to ease the pressure on local crews.

The key questions now are whether the hotspot count falls, whether the haze worsens, and whether the fire can be contained without further loss of life.

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