Banyuwangi declared a 14-day disaster emergency over the Ijen crater forest fire, with water-bombing helicopters deployed and the tourism park shut.
Cover image: the blue-fire phenomenon inside Kawah Ijen crater at night (file photo) — photo by <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jakubhal" title="User:Jakubhal">Jakub Hałun</a>, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Banyuwangi has declared a 14-day disaster emergency, running September 4 to 17, over the forest fire burning around the Ijen Crater Nature Tourism Park in East Java. District Head Ipuk Fiestiandani signed emergency decree No. 100.3.3.2/229/KEP/429.011/2026 to accelerate the response, and a water-bombing helicopter was expected over the crater on Sunday. The park itself stays shut to visitors, extending the closure we reported on September 4.
The decree unlocks emergency spending and inter-agency help. What changed since the closure is the scale of the official response: ground crews fighting in phases, aerial support requested from the province, and a formal emergency footing that can be extended if the fire outlasts the fortnight.
Where is the Ijen fire and how did it spread?
The blaze sits in woodland and estate land around the crater park. It was first spotted in Pasewaran, Kalipuro Subdistrict on Wednesday, September 2, then pushed toward Pondok Bunder and the Ijen Crater road by Friday, September 4. That movement toward the access road is what forced the tourist closure.
No burned-area estimate and no cause have been stated publicly. September is peak dry season in East Java, when plantation and forest edges ignite easily, but officials have not attributed this fire.
What does the 14-day emergency change?
Ipuk Fiestiandani said the administration declared the emergency and signed the decree to accelerate the response. In practice the status lets the regency spend emergency funds, commandeer equipment and call on provincial and national agencies without normal procurement delays. The status can be lengthened beyond September 17 if needed.
The timing overlaps an exceptionally busy week for Indonesian volcano response. While Banyuwangi fights flames on the ground, Mount Semeru's trails were shut by an eruption in the same week, and Anak Krakatau's ash closed eight airports. Three separate volcanic incidents in four days is straining the country's disaster machinery.
Is aerial firefighting being used at Ijen?
Yes. The regency asked the East Java Disaster Mitigation Agency and the Surabaya Search and Rescue Office for air support after ground phases alone could not contain the spread. Agency Chief Partana said that following coordination with the East Java agency, the helicopter would depart from Malang, land at Banyuwangi Airport, then stage to Paltuding near the crater.
The helicopter releases water directly onto hot spots, the standard tactic where steep volcanic slopes keep ground crews at a distance. Its Sunday deployment was the first aerial attack on this fire.
Can tourists still visit Ijen Crater?
No. Authorities have shut the Ijen Crater Nature Tourism Park temporarily, and the emergency status means the closure lasts at least through the response period. The famous blue-fire night treks and sunrise crater-lake visits are suspended.
Travellers with East Java in their plans should reroute rather than wait at the gate. Anyone already in Banyuwangi should monitor regency announcements and avoid the Paltuding access corridor, which is an active operations route for fire crews and the helicopter staging.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ijen Crater open now?
No. The Ijen Crater Nature Tourism Park is temporarily closed after the forest fire spread toward the access road, and a 14-day disaster emergency runs September 4 to 17. Night treks and crater visits are suspended.
How long is the Ijen emergency?
Fourteen days, from September 4 to September 17, 2026, under district decree 100.3.3.2/229/KEP/429.011/2026. Officials say it can be extended if the fire is not contained.
When did the Ijen forest fire start?
The fire was first spotted on September 2 in Pasewaran, Kalipuro Subdistrict, and moved toward Pondok Bunder and the Ijen Crater road by September 4, when the park was closed.
Is aerial support fighting the Ijen fire?
A water-bombing helicopter was expected on site Sunday, September 6, flying from Malang via Banyuwangi Airport to Paltuding, coordinated with the East Java disaster agency and Surabaya search and rescue.
