Suspected Teen Firecracker Play Causes Plastic Factory Fire in Cengkareng
JAKARTA - A fire suspected to be caused by firecrackers has struck Jakarta once again, this time razing a plastic factory in the Cengkareng area of West Jakarta.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday (20/3/2026) on Jalan Bojong Raya, Rawa Buaya, Cengkareng, West Jakarta.
There were no fatalities in the incident, but material losses are estimated to be substantial.
The Head of Operations for the West Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency (Gulkarmat), Syaiful Kahfi, stated that the fire was suspected to have been triggered by sparks from firecrackers played by a group of teenagers near the location.
“According to the security guard’s account at the start of the incident around 03:23 WIB, there were teenagers playing with firecrackers. They were reprimanded by a security guard named Edy from PT Bakti Idola Tama, whose post is right next to the scene,” said Syaiful when contacted on Friday.
However, the reprimand was ignored. The teenagers instead lit more firecrackers with greater intensity.
“The teenagers did not take heed and instead intensified their firecracker use around the area. As a result, a firecracker entered the plastic warehouse and immediately set its contents ablaze,” he said.
The warehouse, filled with highly flammable materials, was quickly consumed by the flames.
“We received the report at 03:26 WIB and dispatched teams at 03:27 WIB. The first responders arrived at 03:33 WIB, and firefighting operations began at 03:34 WIB,” Syaiful explained.
In the initial phase, five fire trucks with 25 personnel were deployed. However, as the fire rapidly intensified, the fleet was increased to 17 units with a total of 85 personnel.
The fire was brought under control at 03:55 WIB, while the cooling process was completed at 04:18 WIB.
The blaze, which affected a building of approximately 176 square metres, did not spread to other structures.
In the past one or two years, several similar cases have occurred. For instance, in early 2025, a fire in the Cilincing area of North Jakarta destroyed six residents’ homes and was suspected to have been caused by firecrackers during New Year’s Eve.
Such cases highlight that the use of firecrackers in densely populated residential areas remains a real risk, particularly when played near buildings with flammable materials.
This pattern of incidents recurs almost every year, with similar causes: uncontrolled sparks from firecrackers.
Officials are urging the public not to play with firecrackers recklessly, especially near areas with high fire risk potential.