Fire guts 250 houses

Fire guts 250 houses

JAKARTA (JP): A fire has gutted 250 houses on Jl. Bandengan
Utara, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, leaving 1,562 people, or 400
families, homeless. No fatalities were reported.

A firefighter with the North Jakarta Fire department, Kusmadi,
said the fire started on Saturday at 9:55 a.m. and quickly spread
through the slum because of strong winds.

"Firefighters also had difficulties in extinguishing the fire
due to a low water supply in the area," he said.

The fire also gutted an elementary-school building and a high-
school building, he said.

He said the students of the two schools were asked to leave
the building when the fire was gutting the building.

Residents and firefighters worked together to extinguish the
fire using anything they could, he said.

He said the fire department deployed 19 fire engines and
extinguished the fire by 3:10 p.m.

Kusmadi said the fire was caused by a kerosene stove explosion
in one of the houses.

He said the fire caused an estimated Rp 500 million
(US$166,666) in material losses.

He said residents were now sheltered in tents in nearby areas
and mosques.

Also on Saturday, another fire destroyed three shops on Jl.
Agus Salim, Bekasi, and killed a man, who is still unidentified.

The man was trapped in one of the shops.

The fire started at 9 a.m. and was claimed to have been caused
by a short circuit.

Bekasi's fire department deployed eight fire engines and
extinguished the fire in two hours. (jun)