Repeated Apartment Fires in Jakarta Reveal Safety Gaps Endangering Residents

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Several apartment buildings in Jakarta have experienced fires in recent months.

In 2026 alone, there have been three such incidents.

The first occurred at Mediterania 1 Apartment in West Jakarta on April 30, 2026. Then, Pavilion Apartment in Central Jakarta caught fire on September 4, 2026.

Most recently, Teluk Intan Apartment in North Jakarta experienced a fire on September 20, 2026, adding to the growing list of vertical residential fires.

At Mediterania 1 Apartment, the fire reportedly started in the electrical panel room in the basement area of Tower C, causing thick smoke to spread upward.

Authorities evacuated 136 people, including 22 to 25 residents who suffered from breathing difficulties.

Meanwhile, the Pavilion Apartment fire broke out on the 5th floor during the daytime and was suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit.

Thirty-four residents were evacuated, including Indonesian citizens, foreigners, a baby, and nine pets.

The fire also struck Teluk Intan Apartment on September 20, 2026.

The blaze is suspected to have originated from a short-circuited electrical panel on the 8th floor, spreading to the 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th floors.

Sixteen fire trucks were dispatched, and 53 residents were safely evacuated with no casualties reported.

Marwanto, a First Expert Fire Analyst specializing in Fire Prevention at the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service (Gulkarmat), emphasized that the mere presence of fire protection equipment in apartments does not automatically guarantee residents' safety.

Complete equipment doesn't always mean functional

According to Marwanto, some buildings may have fire protection devices that appear visually complete.

However, this condition is insufficient if the equipment is not regularly maintained and tested.

"Visually, the equipment looks complete, but when tested, the water pressure may be insufficient, detectors may not be connected to the main panel, or hydrant pumps may fail to activate automatically during pressure drops," Marwanto told Kompas.com on Monday (9/21/2026).