Three Warehouse Fires Occur in Jakarta Within Last Two Weeks
Warehouse fires have recurred in Jakarta, with at least three warehouses in the West and North Jakarta regions burning down in the last two weeks. The presence of highly flammable materials, including plastic, freon, and oil, has significantly prolonged the firefighting processes.
The latest fire occurred at a plastic warehouse on Jalan Peternable Raya, Gang Semut, Kapuk, Cengkareng, West Jakarta, on Monday (18/5/2026) at approximately 14:30 WIB. As of Tuesday (19/5/2026) afternoon, the flames had not been fully extinguished. Sixteen fire engines remained stationed at the site, with officials deploying a Bronto Skylift to spray water into the embers deep within the plastic piles.
Syaiful Kahfi, Head of Operations for the West Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service (Gulkarmat), stated that the extinguishing process was hindered by the sheer volume of plastic materials inside the warehouse. “The piles of goods are extensive, so the process is ongoing. Because the goods are plastic, the water spray does not penetrate to the bottom,” Syaiful told Kompas.com on Tuesday.
He added that officers were coordinating with the building owner to bring in heavy equipment, such as an excavator, to assist with the cooling process. In total, four warehouses have been affected by these incidents. One of them was a freon storage warehouse, which made the fire difficult to control due to the presence of chemical substances.
The warehousing area, typically a hub for logistics activity, turned into a scene of chaos due to flames, a series of explosions, and thick toxic smoke. A total of 25 fire engines and 125 personnel from the West and North Jakarta Fire and Rescue Services were deployed to the scene. The firefighting operation lasted 21 hours, finally concluding on Tuesday (12/5/2026) afternoon.
Gatot Sulaeman, Operations Chief of the North Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service, suggested that the fire was likely triggered by an electrical short circuit. “The suspected cause is an electrical phenomenon. While passing by, employees witnessed an explosion in the electrical panel,” Gatot told Kompas.com on Thursday (7/5/2026). The explosion from the electrical panel reportedly ignited drums of oil, triggering the fire in the warehouse, which covers an area of approximately 1,200 square metres.