823 fires recorded
823 fires recorded
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Fire Department recorded 823 fires
in the city during the first nine months of this year. In these
incidents 22 people were burned to death and 45 others injured,
The estimated material losses caused by the fires were about
Rp 87 billion (US$27.1 million), Johny Pangaribuan, the head of
the agency's public participation division said yesterday.
The causes of 101 of the blazes are still not known, he told
The Jakarta Post yesterday.
The number of fires recorded in the city during the January-
September period has already exceeded the total for the whole of
last year.
During 1996 there were 723 fires, in which 17 people died and
64 others were injured, said Johny. The material losses totaled
Rp 61.9 billion. A total of 5,474 houses were burned, leaving
25,912 residents homeless.
Of the 823 fires recorded so far this year, 330 were ignited
by short circuits. The second most common cause was stove
explosions, with 99 incidents, and third was cigarette butts,
with 72, said Johny.
The mayoralty with the largest number of recorded fires was
East Jakarta (193), followed by West Jakarta (189), South Jakarta
(163), North Jakarta (141) and Central Jakarta (137).
Johny said that the number might increase significantly in the
next few months due to the prolonged drought.
"We fear there will be more fires in the next few months
because of the dry season.
"We hope Jakartans will manage things carefully to avoid fires
because of the serious water shortages during this dry season."
January was this year's most deadly month with six fire-
related deaths recorded. The victims were four residents of Taman
Sari and two from the nearby Sawah Besar district, both in West
Jakarta.
January's fires included infernos at the popular Pasar Baru
Shopping Center and Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta.
The fire at Tanah Abang on Jan. 27 occurred after a clash
between street vendors and city public order officials. The angry
mob burned a district head's office and seven security vehicles.
Official estimates of losses from the Tanah Abang riot and fire
were Rp 1 billion.
On the same day, the major shopping center at Pasar Baru was
also struck by fire. More than 300 premises were razed, including
the Harco Plaza and the King Plaza shopping centers.
Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi said the losses from the
Pasar Baru fire were about Rp 2 billion.
The city's fire department has 2,601 firefighters, 158 fire
engines and 559 fire hydrants. The head of the fire department,
Suharso, has said on many occasions that the city needs 13,000
hydrants. (ste)