Major fire destroys scrap warehouse in Padangsidimpuan, North Sumatra

Scrap warehouse on Jalan Sutan Sori Padamulia in Bonan Dolok Village, North Padangsidimpu District, Padangsidimpu City, North Sumatra, was completely destroyed by a fire on Thursday 28 May. The blaze, which broke out around 5:10pm WIB, rapidly intensified due abundance of flammable materials inside, such as cardboard, plastic, and second-hand goods intended for resale. Firefighters remained engaged in efforts to control the flames until 7:20pm WIB. Thick black smoke billowing high caused panic among local residents, many of whom fled their homes fearing the fire would spread to nearby residential areas. Before fire crews arrived, locals attempted to extinguish the blaze using improvised tools, but the intensity rendered these efforts ineffective. Firefighters faced difficulties due high volumes of combustible materials. Eyewitnesses reported the fire started in the scrap pile before spreading to the building. ‘The fire erupted from the scrap pile and then spread to the structure,’ said local resident P. Matondang. Fortunately, there were no casualties, though residents were initially concerned about the fire engulfing surrounding homes. The exact cause remains under investigation by authorities.