Fire Engulfs Kluwut Port in Brebes, Seven Buildings Destroyed

A massive fire struck the Kluwut Port complex in Kluwut Village, Bulakamba District, Brebes Regency, on Tuesday (28/7/2026) morning. The incident, which occurred around dawn, resulted in at least seven building units being completely destroyed by the flames. The buildings that burned included warehouses, garages, and stalls within the port area. Fortunately, the blaze did not spread to the fishing boats moored at the dock. Rudi Hartono, Chairman of the Brebes branch of the Indonesian Fishermen’s Association (HNSI), confirmed that the fire’s impact was limited to buildings on the port’s edge. ‘Only the buildings burned. No motor vessels were affected,’ Rudi said when contacted on Tuesday afternoon. Bulakamba Police Chief AKP M Afandi explained that the fire was first spotted around 4.30 a.m. local time. A resident heading to a prayer room for dawn prayers saw flames emerging from the back of a warehouse owned by Durakhman (54). ‘The witness and the warehouse owner immediately checked the location and found that the fire actually originated from a ship equipment warehouse belonging to Tarlani,’ Afandi stated. The fire quickly spread to surrounding buildings, causing panic among residents. Several locals attempted to extinguish the fire with makeshift tools, while others were busy salvaging valuables from the warehouses. Intensive firefighting efforts were carried out after Bulakamba Police personnel and firefighters arrived at the scene around 5.00 a.m. The blaze was fully contained by 6.00 a.m. after three fire engines were deployed. Based on the initial investigation and witness statements, the fire is suspected to have been caused by negligence. Prior to the incident, the warehouse owner Tarlani was reportedly burning fish with a colleague near the location. ‘After eating, the remains of the fish-burning fire were left unattended without being fully extinguished, which triggered the fire,’ Afandi explained. Police estimate the material losses from the disaster to be around Rp500 million. There were no reports of casualties in the incident.