Area Guide

Mount Ijen Closure Update｜Forest Fire Spreads, Ijen Temporarily Closed

By 小傑爸 Bali travel blogger · Go Bali Go founder

2026年9月5日 ✏️ 編輯文章

Mount Ijen Closure Update｜Forest Fire Spreads, Ijen Temporarily Closed

💡 Quick Answer

Mount Ijen (Kawah Ijen) has suspended all tourism activities since September 4, 2026, due to a forest fire that is still being managed.

🔥 Mount Ijen Fully Closed to Visitors from September 4

According to the latest announcement from Indonesia’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (KSDAE), a forest fire around Mount Ijen was first detected on September 3 within the Cagar Alam Kawah Ijen Merapi Ungup-Ungup protected area. The fire then spread westward, reaching TWA Kawah Ijen (Ijen Crater Nature Tourism Park) on September 4.

▲ Mount Ijen is famous for its world-class blue fire phenomenon

As a result, the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA Jawa Timur) has announced:

All tourism activities at TWA Kawah Ijen are suspended until further notice.

This means not only the Blue Fire viewing is off-limits, but all general tours—including hiking, sunrise, and crater lake visits—are also completely halted.

🚨 And as of September 5, the fire is still not fully under control

This is the most critical point to note right now.

The Banyuwangi district government stated that the fire has approached Pondok Bunder, which is the hiking route to Mount Ijen; the latest reports indicate that the fire has even spread near Pos 4.

Due to the steep terrain of Mount Ijen and the difficulty for fire trucks to access some areas, firefighting and related units are currently using water trucks and spraying equipment to extinguish the fire, while also seeking helicopter water bombing support.

⚠️ Don’t confuse this with the ‘first Friday of the month closure’

September 4, 2026, happens to be the first Friday of September, and Mount Ijen already has a routine Ijen Rijig cleanup activity, so the park would have been closed that day anyway.

But this time is completely different.

The closure on September 4 is not just a routine one-day closure; it’s due to a forest fire and is ‘until further notice.’

📌 If you’re planning a trip to Bali and East Java soon

If your itinerary originally included:

Bali → Ketapang → Banyuwangi → Mount Ijen

Do not follow your original itinerary to Mount Ijen for now.

This is especially important for those planning a trip in early September. Do not assume that just because September 4 is a regular closure day, the mountain will automatically reopen on September 5 or 6. As of now, the official announcement still states a suspension, and as of the morning of September 5, the fire is still being handled.