Fire in built environment

A total of eight residents' houses on Jalan Tama Gang Cichong, Roban Village, Central Singkawang District, Singkawang City, West Kalimantan were burned on Monday (17/8) at around 01.00 WIB and a 12-year-old girl died in the incident.
The Singkawang Police Chief through the Head of Public Relations of the Singkawang Police, IPTU Hidayatno, said the fire occurred when most of the house residents were asleep.
"The fire was first known by residents after hearing the sound of an explosion from the porch of the house. When checking the source of the sound, the witness saw the flames had grown and burned the porch and part of the living room wall," said Hidayatno in Singkawang, Monday.
Knowing that the fire was getting bigger, the witness then woke up his wife and two children to immediately leave the house and save themselves.
However, after being outside the house, the witness realized that his youngest son was still inside the house which had been burned.
"The witness tried to go back to save the child, but the increasing fire made the attempt impossible," he said.
Pamapta personnel from the Singkawang Police together with residents and firefighters then handled the incident after receiving a report of the incident.
The fire quickly spread to buildings around the location, burning eight units of residents' houses.
After the fire was successfully extinguished at around 02.25 WIB, officers conducted an inspection at the location and found a child in a state of having died inside the house.
"The victim is known to be a 12-year-old girl, a 6th grade SD student, who is the child of the house owner," he said.
The victim's body was then evacuated to Abdul Aziz Hospital, Singkawang, for further examination.
Until now, his party is still handling and deepening to find out the exact cause of the fire, including ensuring the initial source of the fire.
Hidayatno said the incident was a grief for the victim's family and also reminded the public to increase vigilance against the potential for fires, especially at night when most of the residents are resting.
"This incident is a deep sorrow for the victim's family and also a reminder of the importance of vigilance against the potential for fires, especially at night when most people are resting," he said.