Fire destroys 48 shop houses at market in Indonesia, closes major Pontianak-Singkawang road

A fire tore through the Sungai Duri market in Bengkayang regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the night of 20 August, burning about 48 shop houses and prompting the deployment of around 60 fire engines from several areas.

The fire began at about 6.15 p.m. local time, in the middle of a row of densely packed shop houses in Sungai Duri village, Sungai Raya district. The site is located not far from the Sungai Duri police station and is surrounded by a densely populated residential area.

Sungai Duri village head Heriyanto said the exact source and cause of the fire remained unknown. Initial information from residents indicated that flames were first seen in one of the shop houses in the middle of the row.

Strong winds and wooden building materials contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. Local resident Suci said the fire spread beyond one side of the road and reached buildings on the opposite side.

"The fire has crossed over to the shop houses across the road," she said.

Thick black smoke rose over the market as flames spread from one building to another. The close proximity of the buildings made firefighting difficult and increased the risk of the blaze spreading into surrounding residential areas.

Around 60 fire engines deployed

Firefighters from several areas along West Kalimantan's north coast, as well as from the direction of Pontianak, were deployed to the scene. Heriyanto said about 60 fire engines were involved in the operation.

The combined response included teams from Singkawang, Pemangkat, Sambas, Mempawah and Pontianak, among other areas. Hundreds of personnel and volunteers worked at the scene, with some crews concentrating on the main fire while others worked to contain its spread towards nearby homes.

PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia (BAI) also deployed its Emergency Response Team, including firefighting vehicles and personnel.

Dodi Heri Purnama, an Occupational Health & Safety Specialist at PT BAI and commander of its Emergency Response Team, said the team received a report of the fire at about 6.15 p.m. and immediately sent large-capacity firefighting vehicles to the location.

When the team arrived, the flames had already grown significantly amid the densely packed buildings.

Firefighters directed hoses at several sides of the buildings to create barriers and slow the spread of the flames.

Dodi said teams also divided firefighting areas and supplied water as they worked alongside other volunteers.

48 shop houses affected

Heriyanto said the preliminary number of shop houses burned was 48.

Earlier reports had put the number of affected shop houses at more than 30 as firefighters continued battling the blaze.

The fire was eventually brought under control, but crews continued spraying water and cooling the area to ensure that no embers or remaining hotspots could reignite.

Heriyanto said cooling operations had begun at about 10 p.m.

Dodi said the Emergency Response Team remained at the scene until the cooling process was completed and the area was declared safe.

The firefighting operation continued into the early hours as crews checked the affected buildings and surrounding areas for remaining embers.

Pontianak-Singkawang route closed

The fire also disrupted transport along the main Pontianak-Singkawang route. The national road passing through the Sungai Duri market area was closed for safety and to provide space for firefighting vehicles.

The closure caused long traffic jams in both directions, effectively paralysing access between Pontianak and Singkawang through the area.

Firefighters continued working to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading into nearby residential areas as the cooling operation proceeded.