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.