Fire in Matraman, East Jakarta Destroys Three Homes
Matraman Police have confirmed a fire that destroyed three houses on Jalan Pisangan Baru Tengah 1, RT 07/RW 02, Pisangan Baru Subdistrict, Matraman, East Jakarta, on Wednesday (19/8) morning.
Matraman Police Chief, Adjutant Commissioner Suripno, stated that the fire engulfed homes belonging to residents named Syazali, Dendi, and Atikah. The three buildings were located close together in the Jalan Kayumanis V Lama area.
“Yes, the fire this morning in Pisangan Baru, Matraman, destroyed three houses,” said Suripno when confirmed in Jakarta on Wednesday (19/8).
Police received the fire report at around 4.45 a.m. Western Indonesia Time. Based on witness statements, the fire was first noticed while residents were asleep.
One witness woke up after hearing the sound of flames and attempted to extinguish it using a light fire extinguisher (APAR). “While I was sleeping, I heard the sound of fire burning, then I woke up and took the APAR and sprayed it upwards because the house has two floors and the fire was already on the stairs,” said Suripno, quoting the witness’s statement.
Although nearby residents tried to help extinguish the fire with makeshift equipment, the flames continued to grow and were difficult to control. Another witness named Dendi said the fire appeared to originate from the ceiling of the front room of his house. Limited water sources at the location caused the fire to spread quickly to surrounding houses.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at around 5.00 a.m., deploying 10 fire engines. After intensive efforts, the fire was finally fully extinguished at around 6.00 a.m.
Matraman Police confirmed there were no fatalities in the incident. Police are still conducting further investigations to determine the exact cause of the fire and to record the total material losses incurred.
“We have inspected the location, gathered witness statements, documented the scene, and carried out an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire,” concluded Suripno.