Firefighters Cool After The Kudus Paper Factory Fire

The fire team is still trying to cool down the paper factory on Jalan Kudus-Pati kilometer 12 Kudus, Central Java, after previously the fire was successfully tamed, Saturday (15/7/2023). (ANTARA/Akhmad Nazaruddin Lathif)

The BPBD Fire Brigade Team in Kudus Regency, Central Java, said the fire at the Enggal Subur Paper Factory on Jalan Kudus-Pati kilometer 12 in Terban Village, Jekulo District, since Friday (14/7) at 23.15 WIB, was in the cooling phase.

"The fire can be controlled, but the remains of the fire may still exist because the material burned is a large roll paper ready to be sent and in a warehouse measuring 70x70 meters," said Head of BPBD Kudus Mundir Regency as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, July 15.

In fact, he said, the roller paper that was released from the warehouse turned out to still produce coal, so the blackout did take a long time.

As of 16.00 WIB, there was still a fire team that carried out cooling at the fire site assisted by a fire team from a paper factory by utilizing the available water hydrants.

In extinguishing the paper factory fire, seven fire engines were deployed from BPBD, PMI, PT Djarum, PT Pura, and the Pati Regency Government Fire Department as well as dozens of joint personnel to help extinguish the fire.

The cause of the fire was suspected to be due to an electrical short on the front side of the building. Meanwhile, the certainty is of course waiting for the results of the police investigation.

As a result of the fire, the company that produces the paper suffered a loss of around Rp. 17.5 billion.

The potential loss is calculated from finished paper which is ready to be sold weighing 35,000 tons on fire, including buildings, production support equipment, four employee vehicles, two operational cars, and two forklip units were also burned.

Fire Chief Firefighters of PT Djarum Kudus Hardi Cahyana added that the cooling process is estimated to take a long time because the roller paper that is in the rubble of the building that has not been splashed with water certainly still allows the fire to appear again.

"The reason is, the roof of the building is curved so that it covers the rolled material of the paper so that the center is still burning because it cannot be reached," he said.

For that, he said, the fire team must ensure that the fire at the paper factory is completely extinguished and new hotspots will no longer appear.