Medan Labuhan Police Chief Comr. Tohap Sibuea said investigators are working with personnel from the North Sumatra Police forensic laboratory to determine the cause of the fire.

“Initial findings suggest the flames may have originated in a storage area containing raw materials for sandal production, including chemicals. However, we do not yet know what triggered the fire,” Tohap said on Wednesday.

Tohap said a full investigation, including an examination of the fire scene, will only be conducted after the factory’s burned structures have completely cooled.

The fire was first reported at around 9:30 p.m. and rapidly engulfed the factory, which spans about three hectares. The blaze was fueled by flammable materials stored at the site, including rubber, chemicals and machinery.

Read also: Kemayoran blaze kills 22, renews citywide fire safety concerns

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Residents in nearby areas reported hearing multiple explosions from inside the facility.

Authorities deployed around 20 fire engines and dozens of firefighters, but efforts to bring the fire under control were hampered by the scale of the site and the large quantities of rubber and chemical materials involved.

Firefighters said flare-ups repeatedly occurred after the flames appeared to have been contained, as burning rubber beneath the debris reignited the fire.

Acting head of Medan’s Fire and Rescue Agency (Disdamkarmat), Wandro Malau, said firefighting efforts were hindered after two buildings in the factory complex collapsed.

“Rubber materials inside the collapsed structures forced us to dismantle the debris to direct water to the source of the fire,” he said as quoted by CNN Indonesia.

He added that firefighters also had to remain alert to oil pipelines used in the factory’s operations.

Authorities said the fire was fully extinguished at around 5 a.m. on Thursday, after about 31 hours of firefighting efforts.

No casualties were reported in the incident, but one firefighter reportedly sustained minor injuries.

Following the fire, residents near the factory reported shortness of breath and eye irritation from the smoke, which they described as having a strong odor.

Authorities have advised people in the area to wear medical masks or respirators when outdoors to minimize the risk of respiratory problems from lingering particles and fumes even as the fire has been completely extinguished.

Maya Novianty, head of human resources at PT Garuda Mas Perkasa, which owns the factory, said the company was forced to temporarily send home 255 employees following the fire.

“Ninety percent of the factory was destroyed, and production has completely stopped. We had no choice but to send employees home until operations can resume,” she said, as quoted by Media Indonesia.

Material losses are estimated to be in the billions of rupiah, due to the destruction of production machinery and finished goods.

Ase, a factory employee, said she is worried about losing her job after the fire.

“I was sent home for two months after recent floods damaged much of the factory’s production equipment and forced production cuts. I had only worked for one week before this fire occurred,” she said.

Widespread flooding and landslides struck North Sumatra, Aceh and West Sumatra in late November, triggered by the rare Tropical Cyclone Senyar. 

Read also: Overcrowded settlements, weak safety fuel Jakarta’s fire crisis

At least 3.1 million people were affected across the three provinces with more than 113,600 people remaining displaced. The disaster claimed 1,201 lives, injured around 7,000 others, with 142 people missing as of Tuesday, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). (nal)

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