Major Fire in Gili Trawangan Suspected to Result from Electrical Short Circuit

A major fire that destroyed several buildings in Gili Trawangan, Pemenang District, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is suspected to have resulted from an electrical short circuit. Police confirmed that there were no fatalities from the incident.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The preliminary hypothesis is that the fire was triggered by an electrical short circuit. However, further investigation is being conducted to determine the precise cause of the incident,” said Gili Indah Sector Police Commander, Ipda Abdullah, on Thursday (12 March 2026).

The fire in the Gili Trawangan tourist area occurred on Thursday morning. The incident was first noticed by residents who saw black smoke billowing from a building near Gili Mart.

“At approximately 06:10 Wita, black smoke was visible from the area behind Gili Mart. Shortly after, the fire grew larger and spread to other buildings in the vicinity,” said Abdullah.

Several tourism business premises were affected by the fire, including bars, restaurants, and a temporary branch office outlet of BRI Bank Mataram. According to witnesses at the location, the fire spread rapidly because several buildings were constructed using wooden materials and thatched roofs.

“This was compounded by fairly strong wind conditions at the time of the incident,” Abdullah added.

Abdullah stated that the fire was extinguished at approximately 10:00 Wita. The extinguishing operation involved personnel from Gili Indah Sector Police, North Lombok Police, the Regional Police Mobile Brigade, and local residents.

“Material losses are still being assessed by the building owners,” he concluded.

North Lombok Fire and Rescue Services Chief, Ainal Yakin, confirmed there were no fatalities in the fire. According to him, one resident was injured.

“One staff member from Sama Sama Bar suffered an arm injury after falling from a staircase,” said Ainal.