Fire destroy Aug. 17 celebrations<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A fire that gutted the homes of 80 families in Kebon Kacang,
\nCentral Jakarta, early Tuesday spoiled residents' plans to
\ncelebrate Independence Day.<\/p>\n
No fatalities were reported.<\/p>\n
The fire started at around 2:30 a.m. when several residents
\nwere working late decorating their neighborhood with buntings of
\nsmall red-and-white flags.<\/p>\n
\"We had planned to stage a dangdut performance here last
\nnight,\" Arsen, 22, one of the victims, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
His father, Hasyim, 58, said they had arranged games for
\nchildren in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Instead of celebrating the Independence Day, they were seen
\nsitting around watching over what remained of their homes.<\/p>\n
The cause of the fire remains unknown. However, some residents
\nsuspected that it was caused by a cigarette butt or a mosquito
\ncoil.<\/p>\n
\"Tanah Abang Police had arrived and checked the situation.
\nThey cordoned off the house where the fire started,\" Arsen said.
\n\"Many of houses here are made of wood, so the fire spread
\nquickly.\"<\/p>\n
Yati, a mother of two, said since it had already happened she
\ndid not care what caused the fire.<\/p>\n
\"My husband and I were sleeping when neighbors banged on our
\ndoor, saying there was fire. We didn't have time to save
\nanything,\" said Yati, whose house was next to the house where the
\nfire allegedly started.<\/p>\n
For the time being, fire victims are sleeping in temporary
\nshelters.<\/p>\n
\"The developer of the Kebon Jati market has offered us a place
\nto sleep in the unfinished market building, but we prefer to stay
\naround here,\" Yati said.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Sunday, at least 440 people from nearby Petamburan
\nsubdistrict lost their homes in a fire.<\/p>\n
Fire also gutted dozens of houses in a densely populated slum
\nin Kampung Pedurenan in Cakung, East Jakarta, on Monday.<\/p>\n
The fire began at about 11 a.m. and spread rapidly to
\nneighboring houses. There were no reports of fatalities. As of 2
\np.m., firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze.<\/p>\n
Residents grabbed what belongings they could from their homes
\nand stacked them along Jl. Rajiman Widyoningrat -- the main
\naccess road to Bekasi, Klender and Pulogadung -- causing severe
\ntraffic congestion.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't calculated the total number of victims, but most
\nof them were single people working at companies and plants in
\nPulogadung Industrial Zone,\" Adj. First. Insp. Suprapto, a Cakung
\npolice officer said on Tuesday.<\/p>",
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