A massive fire struck a densely populated residential area on Jalan\nSultan Abdullah 2, Tallo District, Makassar, South Sulawesi, in the\nearly hours of Friday (31\/7). At least 50 semi-permanent houses were\ndestroyed by the flames, affecting 90 heads of households.<\/p>\n
The Makassar Fire and Rescue Service (Damkarmat) first received\nreports of the blaze at 01:26 WITA. The first fire engines arrived on\nthe scene ten minutes later, at 01:36 WITA. Firefighters battled the\nrapidly spreading flames for over two hours before finally bringing the\nblaze under control at 04:10 WITA.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Fadli Tahar, Head of the Makassar City BPBD (Regional\nDisaster Management Agency), stated that the assessment process is still\nongoing, meaning the current figures for affected houses and residents\nare provisional. \u201cThe BPBD team went directly to the location to conduct\nan assessment. We are still collecting data as the situation on the\nground is still developing. The initial report indicates 90 families,\nbut we are working to verify this,\u201d said Fadli.<\/p>\n
According to preliminary reports from the BPBD, the fire was\nsuspected to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit in one\nof the houses. The flames spread quickly to neighbouring structures\nbecause most houses in the area are semi-permanent wooden buildings\nsituated close together. The Head of Makassar Damkarmat, Fadli Wellang,\nnoted that the wooden materials and strong winds contributed to the\nrapid spread of the fire.<\/p>\n
A total of 30 fire engines and one rescue unit were deployed to the\nscene, supported by 80 firefighters from the Ujung Tanah and Mako\nDamkarmat posts, along with 10 rescue personnel. The firefighting\noperation involved personnel from the Makassar City BPBD, the Indonesian\nNational Armed Forces (TNI), and the National Police (Polri). All\nfirefighting vehicles were able to leave the site by 04:39 WITA.<\/p>\n
Fadli emphasised the government\u2019s commitment to responding swiftly to\ndisasters. \u201cThe community does not need long-winded answers when facing\na disaster; what they need is a rapid response and a tangible presence\nof the state,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n
The BPBD is preparing recovery stages for the affected residents,\nincluding the distribution of logistical aid, rehabilitation,\nreconstruction, and trauma healing if necessary. Urgent needs for the\ndisplaced residents include tarpaulins, baby kits, family kits, first\naid kits, sarongs, clothing, blankets, and two large tents.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/massive-fire-in-makassar-destroys-50-houses-affecting-90-families-1785469955", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }