Purbalingga – PNN NEWS – A fire broke out in the kitchen of a resident’s house in Pegandekan Village, Kemangkon District, Purbalingga Regency, in the early hours of Thursday (February 19, 2026). There were no casualties in the incident, but losses are estimated to reach tens of millions of rupiah.
Kemangkon Police Chief AKP Heri Iskandar stated that the fire occurred at around 2:20 a.m. local time at the house of Ruswanto (62), a local farmer.
The homeowner woke up after smelling smoke. Upon checking, he found that his kitchen was already on fire. He immediately shouted for help.
“Residents who arrived at the scene tried to extinguish the fire. The incident was then reported to the Kemangkon Police Sector,” AKP Heri said in his statement.
After receiving the report, the Police Chief and on-duty officers immediately went to the scene. Officers conducted an inspection and recorded witness statements.
“The fire was successfully extinguished after a fire truck was deployed. We then ensured that the flames were completely put out,” he added.
Preliminary findings suggest that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit that ignited a pile of scrap wood stored in the kitchen. The 24-square-meter kitchen building was completely burned down. Total losses are estimated at around Rp10 million.
“The fire is suspected to have originated from a short circuit in the kitchen’s electrical installation. Sparks ignited a pile of scrap wood, causing the blaze,” he explained.
The Police Chief urged residents to be more vigilant regarding electrical installations in their homes and to conduct regular inspections to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
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