457 Fires in Jakarta Over Two Months, West Jakarta Sees Highest Incidents

The Governor of Jakarta has reported that 457 fire incidents occurred in the capital during the period of July to August 2026. Approximately 240 of these incidents took place in August alone, according to the report from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). "Based on the report from the Regional Disaster Management Agency, from July to August, Jakarta experienced 457 fire incidents, with approximately 240 occurring in August," stated the Governor at the National Monument Field, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (2/9). The highest number of fire incidents were recorded in West Jakarta and East Jakarta. "The first highest number of fires out of the 457 occurred in West Jakarta, followed by East Jakarta. Indeed, these are two regions with the highest potential, namely Tambora sub-district in the west and Cakung in the east," he explained. The predominant cause of these fires is believed to be electrical short circuits. "The most dominant suspected cause is electrical short circuits. Secondly, it's the burning of garbage, and there are also some incidents caused by the carelessness of people discarding cigarette butts and so on," he elaborated. Furthermore, the prolonged dry season in Jakarta is contributing to an increased risk of fires. "The dry season, with increasingly hot and dry weather conditions, increases the risk of fires, especially in densely populated residential areas," said the Governor. As a preventative measure, the Governor has instructed every neighborhood unit (RW) to be equipped with portable fire extinguishers (APAR). "Now, regarding APAR, I am asking every RW to have one. And since this program is already running, I am confident that every RW now possesses them," he stated. Source: CNN Indonesia