Mystery Man Sets Fire to Street Vendor Carts in Cimahi

A video showing the alleged arson of several street vendor carts on Jalan Pacinan, Cimahi Tengah, Cimahi City, West Java, has gone viral on social media. The act was carried out by a mystery man. CCTV footage shows the incident occurred on Friday (31/7/2026) evening. The suspected arsonist can be seen wearing a hooded sweater and carrying a backpack. The man approached a row of carts covered with blue tarpaulins and set the tarpaulins on fire. The flames grew but did not completely destroy the carts, which belonged to vendors selling meatballs, dim sum, and fried chicken. Fortunately, a passer-by noticed the fire and residents worked together to extinguish it. ‘It happened on Saturday night around half past eleven. There were shouts of fire. I thought it was a shop house, but when I looked, it was my cart on fire,’ said Agung Kurniawan (30), one of the vendors, on Monday (3/8/2026). By the time he arrived at his stall, the fire had already consumed his tarpaulin. Fortunately, the blaze was put out before it could spread to nearby buildings. ‘Only the bottom of the cart was scorched, the tarpaulin was completely burnt. Luckily it didn’t burn all the way through because it was put out quickly,’ he said. Based on the CCTV footage, he believes the fire was set deliberately, although the motive remains unclear. Several other vendor carts in the area were also targeted in the arson attack. ‘From the CCTV, it looks intentional. Besides mine, a meatball cart and a ketoprak cart were also set on fire,’ he added.