Facts Regarding Fia's House in Sleman Hit by Mysterious Fire Terror
The mysterious fire terror at the home of Mutfiana, known as Fia, in Seyegan, Sleman, DIY, has not yet subsided. Repeated fires have continued to occur as of Saturday morning (5/6).
According to reports, Fia has counted 106 instances of fire appearing since the first incident two weeks ago. At least 65 specific fire points have been mapped within her residence. Fia and her family have been forced to evacuate, while a team comprising the Detasemen Gegana Satbrimob Polda DIY and multidisciplinary experts from UGM and UPN ‘Veteran’ Yogyakarta are investigating this phenomenon of spontaneous ignition.
Fia admitted to experiencing significant psychological distress due to the constant anxiety caused by the recurring fires. Although the family has evacuated to a nearby shop-house, they must remain vigilant to monitor the house, as the fires can appear at any time and could escalate if left unchecked. The family is currently managing on only three hours of sleep per day, taking turns guarding the house alongside a group of volunteers.
Beyond the psychological toll, the family has incurred estimated losses of approximately Rp70 million, covering everything from burnt belongings to the costs of excavating a septic tank. Fia recently opened the septic tank to investigate potential causes, such as methane (CH4) gas.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Entropy Slowing Studies (PKPE) at the UGM Faculty of Engineering has described the recurring fires as a special case. Preliminary conclusions from the UGM expert team suggest that the appearance of fire is associated with the discovery of hydrogen (H2) gas at the location. This hydrogen is believed to originate from the fermentation process of organic waste from a poultry slaughtering business operated by Fia’s family.
Sarju Winardi, a lecturer and Assistant Professor at the Department of Geological Engineering, UGM, stated that his team does not yet have a comprehensive explanation as to why this phenomenon is not occurring at other poultry waste sites. The current assumption is that the hydrogen gas likely arises from organic waste consisting of a mixture of manure, residual water, blood, and chicken feathers, which also indicates the presence of another highly flammable compound at room temperature: phosphine (PH3) gas.
The organic waste containment area has been in use for 16 years and is reportedly cleaned occasionally. “In terms of comparison, we have not found similar cases elsewhere. This indicates, in our view, that this is a special case,” said Sarju.
However, Sarju noted that similar phenomena can scientifically be found in former landfill sites containing organic material, such as animal carcasses or bones, and even graveyards. The phenomenon of phosphine gas triggering hydrogen combustion can occur in areas with such configurations.
Regarding why this is happening now, Sarju explained that the formation of hydrogen from organic waste depends on the activity of anaerobic microbacteria, specifically Clostridium. The higher the population, the faster the production rate. Given that the waste containment has existed for 16 years, the timeframe is more than sufficient. The assumption is that the hydrogen gas has finally reached a peak capacity, allowing it to escape and float into the air. “We believe the bacterial activity has reached its peak, resulting in enough gas to escape. The release is not sporadic in one single spot but continuous,” he added.