A fire gutted two stores on Jl Jatinegara Barat, RT 03/03 and an office of RW 03 Kampung Melayu, Jatinegara, East Jakarta today, Monday (6/6). The firemen had difficulties to control it due to brawl action among citizens from Kampung Pulo with Tongtek Bukit Duri.

Fire keeps growing up. So we cannot control it manually

Based on the information gathered, fire came out from a bed store owned by Wisvama Than (65). Then the flames quickly spread and hit a foam store and an office of RW 03. 

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Some said it was triggered by electricity short-circuit and other people said it was triggered by a brawl action among citizens that colored by molotov cocktail throwing. 

Roman (31), a local resident expressed fire broke out at around 3.30 AM. Locals were trying to put out the flames but they failed. Ironically, some locals were still involved in brawl action. Thus the firemen had difficulties to put out the flames at the scene.

"Fire keeps growing up. So we cannot control it manually," he admitted.

Head of East Jakarta Fire Handling and Rescue Sub-dept, Gatot Sulaiman disclosed the cause is still unknown but he suspected it was due to electricity short-circuit.

"We have difficulties to put out the flames due to brawl among residents. They also throw us with rock," he told.

Luckily, the situation could be controlled at around 4.30 AM after sending 15 fire trucks to the scene.