Old House in South Tapanuli Completely Destroyed by Fire, Owner: I Could Only Save Mom

"Everything is gone. There was nothing I could save," he said.

Asman lives with his middle-aged mother.

He works daily in the kitchen of the Free Nutritious Meal program (MBG).

When the fire broke out, Asman chose to take his mother out of the house immediately.

"I could only save my mom. All our possessions and valuables were left behind. Everything is gone," he concluded.

Suspected Short Circuit Origin

Asman suspects the fire started due to an electrical short circuit.

According to him, based on his children’s account, the fire was first seen in his room.

"The kids said the fire started in my room. It happened fast. It was a short circuit," Asman said while being evacuated to a neighbor’s house.

However, official sources did not indicate any conclusive findings from authorities regarding the exact cause of the fire.

House Doused Twice

Batangtoru subdistrict head Mara Tinggi Siregar was also present at the scene.

He ordered firefighting vehicles to be dispatched immediately to handle the fire.

After the fire was put out, the fire trucks were instructed to spray the house twice more.

This was done out of concern that some embers might remain in the charred wooden structure and risk reigniting.

Although no lives were lost, the fire prevented Asman from saving any valuables or belongings inside the home.

Parts of this article were originally published on Tribun-Medan.com under the title "Fire in Batangtoru, Asman: Everything is Gone, I Could Only Save Mom".