City to buy extinguishers for fire-prone subdistricts
City to buy extinguishers for fire-prone subdistricts
Damar Harsanto and Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta
Two major fires in the city in the last two weeks, which left
more than 2,500 people homeless, have prompted Governor Sutiyoso
to press ahead with his plan to equip each subdistrict with
industrial fire extinguishers.
"I will propose the procurement of industrial extinguishers in
the 2004 revised city budget," he said.
With 53 of 267 subdistricts "prone to fires", the Jakarta Fire
Department has revealed its plan to purchase 10,000 more
industrial extinguishers within a five-year period to minimize
fires in the city, which has an area of 661.52 square kilometers.
Currently, there are 6,000 industrial extinguishers among 55
subdistricts.
Each 70-kilogram industrial extinguisher is priced at Rp 30
million (US$3,333), while the bigger capacity extinguishers weigh
140 kilograms and are worth Rp 40 million.
Fire department data shows that 364 fires were reported this
year, as of last Friday, in which 11 people were killed and 28
others injured.
The number of fires reported in the city has increased in the
last three years, with 854 cases last year, 837 cases in 2002 and
729 cases in 2001.
The main causes of the fires have been listed as short
circuits and exploding kerosene stoves.
The latest incident took place on Sunday morning in Karang
Anyar, Sawah Besar district, Central Jakarta, when 388 houses --
which 623 families had occupied -- burned down. Two people were
killed in the fire.
The area can only be accessed via a one-meter-wide alley,
which had made it difficult for the firefighters to reach the
fire, although 26 trucks were deployed.
No official statement was released on the cause of the fire,
but witnesses say that an exploding stove caused it.
Earlier, on July 14, more than 1,100 people lost their homes
in a fire in Kebon Melati subdistrict, Central Jakarta.
On Monday, hundreds of fire victims in Karang Anyar started to
clear debris from their burned homes, which they insisted they
would immediately rebuild. They said no other location was
suitable as their houses were close to their workplaces.
The residents also said that they had obtained land ownership
certificates for their properties.
"I will rebuild my house when I have enough money," said Aca
Suganda, a mechanic, who has been living in the area for 25
years.
Currently, most of them are taking shelter in plastic tents.
"I will sleep here tonight with my eldest son. My wife and two
other children will sleep at the subdistrict office," he said.
A public kitchen was established at the subdistrict office to
provide meals for the victims. Donors, including from the city
social agency and the Indonesian Red Cross, have distributed
rice, instant noodles and clothes.
"For the time being we are OK, we have sacks of rice and other
food," said Fauzi, Karang Anyar subdistrict chief.