Tanker Truck Carrying Thinner Catches Fire on Cipali Motorway
A tanker truck loaded with 32,000 litres of thinner was completely engulfed in flames on the Cipali toll road heading towards Cirebon, at KM 185, Ciwaringin sub-district, Cirebon regency, on Wednesday 18 February 2026 at approximately 05:15 local time.
Fire consumed the entire tank section of the vehicle, registered under plate number B 9802 UFV, sending thick black smoke billowing high into the air.
It took firefighters more than three hours to extinguish the blaze. The Cipali toll road operator temporarily diverted traffic off the carriageway via the Sumberjaya toll gate at KM 175.
Eno Sujana, Head of the Fire Suppression, Rescue, and Infrastructure Division at the Cirebon Regency Fire and Rescue Service, said that based on the driver's account, the fire was believed to have originated from friction sparks caused by a seized left rear wheel bearing.
"The fire then spread to the tyres before reaching the tank containing the thinner fuel, ultimately destroying the entire tanker unit," he said.
Fire consumed the entire tank section of the vehicle, registered under plate number B 9802 UFV, sending thick black smoke billowing high into the air.
It took firefighters more than three hours to extinguish the blaze. The Cipali toll road operator temporarily diverted traffic off the carriageway via the Sumberjaya toll gate at KM 175.
Eno Sujana, Head of the Fire Suppression, Rescue, and Infrastructure Division at the Cirebon Regency Fire and Rescue Service, said that based on the driver's account, the fire was believed to have originated from friction sparks caused by a seized left rear wheel bearing.
"The fire then spread to the tyres before reaching the tank containing the thinner fuel, ultimately destroying the entire tanker unit," he said.