Challenges in extinguishing the fire at Cengkareng plastic warehouse in West Jakarta for over a week

Jakarta - A fire at a plastic warehouse on Peternakan Raya Street, Gang Semut, Kapuk, Cengkareng, West Jakarta, remains unextinguished after eight days. firefighting personnel have been working on-site since the blaze began on Monday, 18 May 2026. The fire initially spread rapidly, consuming the warehouse contents. Residents’ videos show a large explosion and towering flames reaching the roof. Syaiful Kahfi, Operations Chief of Jakarta Barat’s Gulkarmat Subdivision, stated 27 firefighting vehicles and 135 personnel were deployed. Despite containing the main flames in the initial days, cooling efforts face obstacles as plastic materials are buried under collapsed second-floor structural elements. water from hoses cannot reach the fire beneath the debris. “The problem is the materials being covered by debris, so we cannot spray. It’s already difficult enough when it’s like this,” Syaiful explained. “The firefighting process should have been concluded. The heavy pile of steel and concrete from the collapsed second floor obscures the fire source. The plastics and plastic pellets inside are still burning, making them hard to reach,” said Danang. with water unable to penetrate the rubble, heavy machinery such as excavators or bulldozers is required to clear debris. However, the fire department lacks its own heavy equipment and relies on the warehouse owner’s facilities.