12-Hour Factory Fire in Tangerang Forces Resident Evacuations

Dozens of residents of Tanah Tinggi sub-district, Tangerang City, living near the site of a fire at the PT Murni Karetindo Lestari (King Stone) sandal factory, were forced to evacuate on Monday (22/6). The evacuation was carried out after thick smoke from the blaze, which had yet to be extinguished, blanketed the residential area, raising concerns about residents’ health.

The fire, which has engulfed the one-hectare factory, has been raging for more than 12 hours. By midday, firefighters were still battling the flames, which continued to produce thick black smoke. Smoke from the burning material began spreading into residential areas surrounding the site, prompting some residents to voluntarily seek refuge with relatives, while others were evacuated to temporary shelters prepared by the local government.

One resident, Pasiman, said he had already moved his children and grandchildren to the Karawaci and Cisoka areas to avoid smoke exposure. He noted that similar fires had occurred several times at the factory, but this one was the worst. “There have been three fires, and this one is the most severe. My children and grandchildren have been evacuated to Karawaci and Cisoka so they are not affected by the smoke,” Pasiman said.

The Tanah Tinggi sub-district government undertook mitigation measures by evacuating residents living within a radius of approximately 200 metres from the fire site or those directly bordering the factory area. Tanah Tinggi Sub-district Head Dewi Angraeni said that a change in wind direction since morning had caused the thick smoke to move towards residential areas. The situation was deemed potentially harmful to respiratory health, making evacuation necessary as a precautionary step.

“Since morning, the wind direction has changed towards Tanah Tinggi, causing smoke to enter the residential area. Because the smoke is quite thick and is starting to affect breathing, we are evacuating residents around the location to a safer place,” Dewi said. According to her, the sub-district office has coordinated with the Tanah Tinggi Community Health Centre to monitor residents’ health. A number of health workers have been deployed to check the condition of people affected by the smoke.

However, no reports of residents suffering from Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) have been found so far. Residents are still advised to wear masks when active, both indoors and outdoors, to minimise the risk of health problems due to smoke exposure. In addition to preparing temporary shelters in places of worship, the Tanah Tinggi sub-district office has also opened a health post near the fire site. The post is provided to facilitate health checks for residents and enable early detection of respiratory symptoms caused by the fire smoke.