Kluwut Port in Brebes Engulfed in Flames, Seven Warehouses and Kiosks Destroyed

A massive fire swept through the Kluwut Port complex in Kluwut Village, Bulakamba District, Brebes Regency, Central Java, on Tuesday morning. The incident, which occurred around dawn, resulted in at least seven buildings being completely destroyed by the flames. The structures consumed by the fire included a ship equipment warehouse, a garage, and several kiosks. Fortunately, the blaze did not spread to the ship mooring area, allowing hundreds of fishing boats at the site to be saved from the inferno. The Chairman of the Brebes chapter of the Indonesian Fishermen’s Association (HNSI), Rudi Hartono, confirmed that the fire’s impact was limited to the buildings on the edge of the port. ‘Only the buildings were burned. No motorised boats were affected,’ Rudi stated. Bulakamba Police Chief, Ajun Komisaris M Afandi, explained that the fire was first spotted around 4:30 a.m. local time. A resident heading to a prayer room for the dawn prayer saw flames emerging from the back of a warehouse owned by Durakhman, 54. ‘After checking with the owner, it turned out the fire originated from a ship equipment warehouse belonging to Tarlani,’ Afandi revealed. Due to the flammable building materials, the fire quickly spread to surrounding structures, causing panic among residents who then worked together to try to extinguish the fire and salvage valuables. Bulakamba Police personnel and fire fighters arrived at the scene around 5:00 a.m. Deploying three fire engines, the blaze was fully extinguished by 6:00 a.m. Based on a preliminary investigation and witness statements, the fire is suspected to have been caused by negligence during fish grilling activities nearby. Prior to the incident, the warehouse owner, Tarlani, was known to have been grilling fish with a colleague. ‘After eating, the remains of the fish grill were left unattended while the fire was not completely extinguished. This is what triggered the fire,’ Afandi clarified. Although there were no casualties in the incident, the material losses from the destruction of the seven buildings and their contents are estimated at Rp500 million.