Vacant Land Fire in Makassar Leaves No Casualties

The Makassar Fire and Rescue Service (Damkarmat) is continuing intensive monitoring at the former site of a vacant land fire in the Tallasa City area, Tamalanrea District, South Sulawesi. The fire, which consumed approximately 5,000 square metres of scrubland, has been confirmed to have caused no casualties or damage to buildings.

Head of Makassar Damkarmat, Fadli Wellang, explained that the incident occurred on Monday evening (24/8) at around 18:35 WITA. His team immediately deployed three fire engines to the location after receiving reports from residents.

“What burned was grass and undergrowth on vacant land covering approximately 5,000 square metres. The flames appeared large because the location had minimal lighting and the incident occurred at night, which caused a stir among residents,” said Fadli in Makassar on Tuesday (25/8).

Fadli added that tall, dry grass material caused the fire to spread rapidly. However, thanks to the swift response of 14 personnel, comprising 10 firefighters and four rescue personnel, the fire was brought under control at around 20:30. All personnel left the location at 20:40 after ensuring conditions were completely safe.

“The handling was quick because the land was vacant and there were no significant obstacles. After the fire was brought under control, officers carried out follow-up measures to ensure there were no remaining hotspots that could reignite the fire,” he added.

Separately, FKS Land management, as the developer of the Tallasa City integrated township, confirmed that the current situation is fully conducive. The incident was confirmed to have been isolated to a stretch of vacant land owned by PT Parangloe Indah and did not reach residential areas, commercial facilities, or residents’ assets.

Makassar Operations Sub Division Head of FKS Land, Yus Tinus Iwan Kurnianto, appreciated the solid collaboration between the township’s internal team and Makassar Damkarmat. According to management records, the extinguishing and cooling down process was completed by 21:00.

“We want to assure all residents and visitors that Tallasa City is currently 100 per cent safe. The fire solely burned dry grass areas on vacant land and did not reach any building areas at all,” stressed Yus Tinus.

The management also urged the public to increase vigilance against potential land fires, especially when facing dry weather conditions. Currently, all operational activities and residents in one of Makassar’s largest integrated areas have returned to normal.