January-August 2024, Recorded As Many As 490 Fire Cases In Jakarta

ILLUSTRATION BETWEEN

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded as many as 490 fire cases occurred during the period January to mid-August 2024.

"Recap of the fire incident in Jakarta January 1 to August 14, 2024, a total of 490 fires," said Head of BPBD DKI Jakarta Isnawa Adji in his statement quoted on Saturday, August 17.

Isnawa said the majority of the causes of the fire were electrical short circuits with 332 incidents. Then, another cause is the burning of 10 garbage events, 1 candle incident, another 12 events.

As a result of the hundreds of incidents, 18 people died, 21 people were seriously injured, and 133 people were slightly injured. These incidents also resulted in 3,021 people displaced.

"The number of facilities affected by 720 houses, 150 semi-permanent buildings, 25 buildings, 32 warehouses, 212 kiosks/ruko, 34 vehicles, 46 others," said Isnawa.

The total estimated material losses from the impact of the fire caused during the January-August 2024 period amounted to Rp148.5 billion.

Even this week, two cases of fires have occurred in Manggarai, South Jakarta, and Guardingan, North Jakarta. Isnawa said that most of the cases of fires occurred in densely populated residential areas.

On that basis, Isnawa proposed that there be improvements to the installation of electricity networks from towers to homes. This proposal has been submitted to the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono.

"I have conveyed to Pak PJ and the Regional Secretary that if there is a CSR (fund), in the future there will be a change in electrical installations in densely occupied areas. We must invite PLN," explained Isnawa.

Isnawa said that the quality of the electricity cable in the densely populated area is no longer feasible and should be replaced with a new one.

Bearing in mind, the majority of the causes of the fire in the area were electrical short circuits. For example, the fire case in Manggarai on Tuesday, August 13, allegedly caused by a short circuit in the cellphone battery charging cable.

"Earlier we got the information that the user was loading a cellphone. In my opinion, this is not only a cellphone case, but the electricity load is no longer in accordance with the electric power," explained Isnawa.

However, for its implementation, Isnawa admitted that the DKI Provincial Government still has to ensure that the improvement of electricity installations is carried out in areas that do not have land dispute problems.

"We have to clean and clear first, the land is problematic or not, or it is still a dispute, not the occupants," he said.