TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The acrid scent of charred remains hung heavy in the air as Tempo visited the site of the fire at Jalan Gang Damai No. 5, RT 17 RW 04, Kapuk Muara Urban Village, Pejaringan Sub-district, North Jakarta. The residential area was consumed by flames yesterday, just as residents were beginning their Friday prayers. Approximately 470 houses were razed, though some wall sections remained standing.
"Most of the houses were made of plywood. The fire started right before the Friday prayers and the sermon began," said 55-year-old Kusnaini, a resident of Kapuk Muara, Penjaringan, whose own house was completely destroyed.
Kusnaini was found taking refuge in a temporary tent set up for fire victims. He had spent the previous night at a nearby church. "I only came here this morning," he explained.
Within the tent area, other displaced individuals, including children and toddlers, sought shelter. Tempo observed that 10 tents, each with a capacity for 50-60 people, had been erected by the North Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Social Agency, and the Ministry of Social Affairs. These tents were set up on company land adjacent to the burned residential area, separated by concrete walls that had to be breached to allow resident access.
Residents of Kapuk Muara, Penjaringan, Jakarta, were taking refuge in a temporary tent due to the fire, June 7, 2025. Tempo/Jihan Ristiyanti
The fire tragically occurred on the day of Eid al-Adha. Kusnaini recalled having lunch with his junior high school-aged child when shouts of "fire!" erupted. He immediately fled their home, managing to save only their clothes. The Eid meat coupons had just been distributed, but residents had not yet received their meat.
Kusnaini remains unaware of the fire's cause or origin. According to him, this was not the first fire in the densely populated area. "This is the fourth time, and this is the biggest one," he lamented. He has lived in the area for 16 years, remembering previous fires in 2010, 2012 (during Eid al-Fitr), and 2016.
Sudiyono, the Chairperson of RW 04 Kapuk Muara, also could not confirm the cause of the blaze. "We don't know yet, suddenly the fire grew," he stated. He noted that many residents were either performing Friday prayers or had gone to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Adha, leaving the residential area sparsely populated during the incident.
He confirmed that there were no casualties in the Kapuk Muara fire, which affected an area of approximately 3 hectares.
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