Traffic Returns to Normal on Cipali Toll Road KM 185 After Tanker Truck Fire

A joint team has confirmed that traffic at KM 185 of the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) toll road in Cirebon Regency, West Java, has returned to normal after a tanker truck fire carrying thinner was extinguished on Wednesday morning.

Highway Patrol Unit Chief for the Cipali Toll Road, AKP Kuswanto, said in Cirebon on Wednesday that the lane had been temporarily closed as the blaze was substantial and posed a danger to other road users.

“We carried out a temporary closure of the Cirebon-bound lane because the flames were quite high and posed a risk, so we had to secure the area first for the safety of motorists,” he said.

He explained that the fire broke out at approximately 05.30 Western Indonesian Time on the Jakarta-to-Cirebon lane, prompting officers to immediately secure the area and implement traffic management measures around the scene.

During the response, a vehicle queue built up behind the incident site, but traffic began to flow again after the fire was extinguished and the lane was reopened in stages.

“There was a queue of approximately two kilometres from the scene of the incident. After the fire was put out, we restored traffic to normal,” he said.

He noted that the firefighting operation was conducted jointly with the Cirebon Fire and Rescue Service (Disdamkarmat) and the local police, with the primary focus on controlling the fire and preventing further damage to the toll road surface.

Meanwhile, Head of the Fire and Rescue Division at Cirebon’s Disdamkarmat, Eno Sujana, said officers deployed five fire engines, used approximately 50 litres of firefighting foam, and consumed around 50,000 litres of water to accelerate the operation.

“As soon as we received the report, our crew set off immediately, and upon arrival at the scene the fire was already large, so we requested additional units from several sectors,” Eno said.

He confirmed that the object on fire was a tanker truck carrying approximately 32,000 litres of thinner, with the entire vehicle body affected by the blaze.

Based on initial statements from the driver, the fire was believed to have originated from friction on a seized left rear wheel, which produced sparks that then spread to the tyres and the tank.

Eno said the fire was declared extinguished at 08.29 Western Indonesian Time, followed by a cooling-down process until approximately 09.00 to ensure there was no risk of reignition.

“We can confirm there were no fatalities or injuries in this incident,” he said.