South Lampung. A fire in Way Kambas National Park in Lampung has spread toward its Elephant Training Center, prompting firefighters to deploy ground teams and a helicopter as they work to contain the blaze.

The latest fires were reported at three locations: the RPTN Toto Projo area, SPTN Region I Bungur, and an area bordering Tambah Dadi village in Purbolinggo.

MHD Zaidi, head of Way Kambas National Park, said the fires had persisted because of extremely dry peatland, dense shrub vegetation, and strong winds.

The park authority has deployed personnel from several agencies and groups, including park officers, the Indonesian Military, the National Police, field partners and the Joint Committee for Mitigation and Handling of Negative Human-Elephant Interactions.

Limited water sources and difficult terrain have hampered efforts to reach some fire sites. A helicopter has therefore been deployed to conduct water-bombing operations.

As of Tuesday, one of the three fire sites had been extinguished, while efforts to contain the other two were continuing. The park authority has not yet determined the total area burned.

The fire has approached the Elephant Training Center, one of the park’s key conservation facilities. However, there have been no reports of elephants being directly affected.

Way Kambas National Park covers about 125,631 hectares and is home to an estimated 146 to 170 Sumatran elephants, according to data presented by Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki during a visit to the park on July 2, 2026.

Data from the Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Authority (KSDAE) recorded 37 domesticated elephants at the Elephant Training Center in 2021.

Firefighters are continuing to contain the remaining fires and prevent them from spreading toward the training center and other conservation areas.

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