TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of Publication Section of Jakarta Fire Department Sahrudin said that as of September 2014, the city has seen a total of 667 fires.
The number is expected to rise.
"We haven’t entered the rainy season yet. (During the rainy season), the potentials of fires will be bigger,” he said on Saturday, September 13, 2014.
Sahrudin said that most of those fires (485 incidents) were caused by short circuits.
"The others were caused by gas stoves and many others,” he said.
West Jakarta has seen the highest number of fires, especially in Tambora and Kalideres, where congested residential areas are found.
However, Sahrudin did not elaborate on the number of fires in those areas.
Furthermore, to prevent fires, the Department has been disseminating measures to prevent fires to the people.
"We disseminate the measure through the radio, social media, and TVs,” he said.
In the dissemination of the measures, Sahrudin said, the Department especially called on the people to pay attention to the electricity connections and to be careful when using gas stoves.
ERWAN HERMAWAN