Discarded cigarette butt triggers land fire on Tidung Island

A discarded cigarette butt sparked a land fire in Kampung Baru, Pulau Tidung Village, Seribu Islands Regency, on Sunday, according to the North Jakarta and Seribu Islands Fire and Rescue Service (Gulkarmat).

Gatot Sulaeman, Head of Operations for the North Jakarta and Seribu Islands Gulkarmat, stated that the suspected cause of the fire was a cigarette butt, which ignited a field overgrown with reeds. The fire affected an area of approximately 300 square metres.

According to a witness at the scene, a resident passing through the area noticed the burning reeds and immediately contacted the fire department for assistance. The service deployed one motorcycle cart unit with seven personnel, and the firefighting operation commenced at 9:44 a.m. Western Indonesia Time. The blaze was successfully extinguished by 10:15 a.m.

‘Thankfully, the fire was extinguished by officers, and the situation is now declared safe,’ Gatot said. He urged the public to be cautious and to refrain from carelessly discarding cigarette butts, as they can trigger fires. He also advised residents to check their home electrical installations and to provide light fire extinguishers in their homes.