In Law & Order, News
 Viewed: 504 views

Image:  Seminyak fire rages and closes main street two hours. Credit: Green Rock

A fire struck a two-story ruko shop with a home upstairs and the Magali Pascal store downstairs at Jalan Raya Seminyak, No 65 on Wednesday night (1/9).

The fire occurred at around 8pm and it destroyed the entire house and furniture owned by I Made Atmaja, 35, a resident of Banjar Seminyak.

Homeowner Made Atmaja said, at the time of the incident, at around 8pm, he was bathing in the basement of his house. After taking a shower, he then went up to the second floor, right above the Magali Pascal office.

“Suddenly the lights began exploding like firecrackers. I panicked. Maybe at that time the bedroom was on fire. As soon as I went up, the fire was already big,” Atmaja told the Bali Express.

Not having time to save his valuables, firefighters pulled Atmaja out of the burning living room. “I was taken out by the firefighters,” he said.

He was worried important letters such as certificates, BPKB, and others could not be saved. “At that time it was all a panic. The fire was fast and I could not save the items,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ruko owner, who is also the house owner’s sister, Komang Rudita, 45, suspects that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit. Before the fire enlarged, a popping sound appeared like the sound of firecrackers. She also said that during the incident, she was with her younger brother, Made Atmaja, who also stayed home while other family members prayed at Banjar Tegallantang, Denpasar.

Rudita saw the flames quickly dispose of her brother’s house. “Everything on top of the shop seemed to be gone in a flash,” said Rudita.

In the aftermath, Made Atmaja’s house has only one wall left standing. The roof of the house is gone. While Magali Pascal’s shophouse is in ruins and the shop’s glass front was broken. Police officers were guarding the scene to keep items inside the shop.

The Head of the Badung District Fire and Rescue Service, Wayan Wirya said the fire was allegedly caused by an electrical short circuit. “It is still being investigated. PLN officers are also checking,” Wirya said when met at the scene this morning.

Badung firefighting deployed 16 fire engines to the scene and the fire was put out totally by 10pm. Until now the Kuta Police Department is still investigating the exact cause of the fire.

Temporary Head of Kuta Polsek Human Relations, Second Inspector Gusti Ngurah Parwa, said that the fire caused losses of more than Rp 2 billion.  “We suspect that the cause is a short circuit, but we will investigate the case further,” he said.