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akarta firefighters often have to look for alternative water sources, as many fire hydrants in the capital do not work properly or are used by residents, adding to a host of challenges faced by firefighters in a city that has a high prevalence of fires.

As of mid-July, 715 fires have been recorded across five municipalities since the beginning of the year, according to data from the Jakarta Fire Department.

The catastrophes have killed at least 37 people and injured 79 others, including 14 firefighters. They have also caused more than Rp 280 billion (US$21 million) in financial losses, the data show.

In addition to struggling with preventive measures against fires, most of which are caused by short circuits, firefighting efforts in the city are hampered by many malfunctioning hydrants.

“The hydrants are crucial in assisting us with extinguishing the flames, as they are one of the sources of water. Officials in each municipality will intensify their efforts to monitor [the hydrants]” Suharja, the fire department’s facilities division head, said on Thursday.

There are 1,374 fire hydrants installed across five municipalities of the capital. However, nearly half of them do not work. The department says 577 fire hydrants are either broken, lost or used by residents.

As many as 97 hydrants had been disconnected for road expansion projects, while 480 others were either broken due to their age or damaged by residents using them for their own water supply, Suharja said.

To restore the hydrants’ crucial function for fire safety, his department plans to request funds from the city administration for repairs and to procure new hydrants. He did not provide details on the size of the budget he has in mind, but explained that a new fire hydrant costs around Rp 10 million.

Suharja acknowledged that the city’s hydrants were prone to misuse.

“The hydrants are not designed to be safe from misuse. Anyone can take out water from them with a simple trick,” he said.

Jakarta Fire Department head Subejo said firefighting personnel often resorted to rivers as an alternative source of water when a blaze broke out in the city.

Central Jakarta municipal secretary Iqbal Akbarudin previously demanded the agency check the condition of hydrants in the municipality to step up fire mitigation efforts. Central Jakarta as the second-most densely populated minicipality, after West Jakarta, might be particularly prone to fires, he said.

Iqbal said weak monitoring had led to the misuse of hydrants. He alleged local residents were siphoning off water for their personal use, such as consumption or to run a laundry business.

There were 101 fires incidents in Central Jakarta since the beginning of the year, he added.

A fire engulfed the famous Senen Market in Central Jakarta in January, razing almost 1,700 kiosks in one of the worst fires the capital has seen in recent years.

Firefighters needed more than a day to put out the flames. They even used water from a swimming pool at the Senen Sports Hall to douse the flames at the historical market.

Out of the 715 fires hitting the capital so far this year, East Jakarta recorded the highest number with 169 incidents, followed by South Jakarta with 167, West Jakarta with 154, North Jakarta with 120, Central Jakarta with 101 and the Thousand Islands regency with four incidents.

The Jakarta administration has long been blamed by the public for its poor safety standards on fire prevention.

Many fires were caused by unsafe electrical connections and short circuits.