Serdang Fire Leaves Hundreds of Homes Damaged as Bangka Selatan Revises Disaster Toll

Latest count puts damage at 305 homes and Rp2 billion

A fire that swept from land into a residential area in Dusun Serdang, South Bangka, on October 10, 2026, affected 305 homes and 1,800 people, according to a preliminary provincial disaster agency update issued at 20:10 Western Indonesian Time on October 11. Estimated losses reached Rp2 billion, with 8.3 hectares affected and 500 people recorded at two evacuation sites.

The evening count was lower than an earlier estimate of 600 homes and 2,400 people, showing how sharply the assessment changed as officials checked the damage. An initial account described at least 288 homes destroyed and 1,152 residents affected. None of those figures should be treated as a final inventory.

The fire struck Serdang hamlet in Jelutung II village, Simpang Rimba district, in Indonesia's Bangka Belitung Islands province. Strong winds, dry conditions and houses largely built with wooden boards helped flames spread from nearby land into the settlement. Authorities reported no deaths, although medical teams treated residents for burns and eye irritation.

By Sunday, October 11, the flames had been extinguished, but firefighters continued cooling operations amid smoke and burned building materials. Emergency work extended beyond the fire scene: officials were arranging food, drinking water, shelter, medical care and continued schooling, while housing authorities began examining whether some families should move away from areas also vulnerable to flooding.

Why the damage figures changed

The provincial Regional Disaster Management Agency, known as BPBD, issued several provisional counts during October 11. A 07:00 update put the impact at about 500 homes, 500 households and 2,000 people. By 09:40, the agency was reporting 600 homes, 600 households and 2,400 people. The 20:10 update reduced those totals to 305 homes, 450 households and 1,800 people.

Other accounts did not align neatly with that sequence. One description of the 07:00 assessment listed about 600 homes but retained the figures of 500 households and 2,000 people. Police separately reported 350 burned homes, while the district housing department recorded 305 affected homes in its own preliminary assessment. Earlier reports estimated dozens of houses, including more than 60 during the fire's first hours.

Agus Afandi, acting head of the provincial BPBD, acknowledged that agencies were reporting different totals. No detailed explanation was given for the reduction between the morning and evening assessments. The figures also use different descriptions, including homes affected, homes burned and homes destroyed. Those categories cannot automatically be treated as equivalent.

The distinction between homes and households matters for recovery. The latest count lists 450 households across 305 affected homes, so a rebuilding plan based only on the number of buildings would not describe the full number of families needing help. Officials have yet to publish a final breakdown of damage severity or explain how the household and building counts were reconciled.

How the fire spread through Serdang

BPBD placed the start of the fire at approximately 15:10 on Saturday, October 10, when land near the settlement was burning. Its account said a provincial response team received information about the land fire and prepared personnel and equipment after checking the report with agency officials.

Police described a suspected starting area of roughly four hectares of peatland near the homes. That is a different measure from the 8.3 hectares in the later BPBD assessment, which covered the affected area. The two figures should not be read as competing estimates of exactly the same thing.

Reports differ on the timing. The police account placed the incident at 17:20, while other early accounts said flames appeared around 17:45. These times may concern different stages of the fire, but authorities have not established a single reconciled chronology. The police account also contains November date references that conflict with its October 10 description and the wider October 10 to 11 timeline.

The main sequence reported by emergency officials was:

• October 10, about 15:10: BPBD recorded a fire on land near the settlement.
• October 10, late afternoon: reports described flames spreading rapidly among wooden homes.
• October 10, 21:10: BPBD received an update that hundreds of homes had burned.
• October 10, 22:00: an emergency official said combined teams were still fighting the fire.
• October 11, early morning: the fire was reported extinguished, followed by continued cooling.
• October 11, 20:10: BPBD issued its revised count of 305 homes and 1,800 people affected.

Firefighters remained after the flames were out

South Bangka deployed three fire engines, with support from provincial teams, police, the military and residents. Budi Utama, head of the provincial public order and fire service, described a combined response focused first on putting out the fire and evacuating residents. Strong winds and limited resources made the initial effort difficult.

Reports placed extinguishment either in the early hours of Sunday or by Sunday morning. The police account gave a time of 00:30, although its accompanying date references were inconsistent. BPBD and district officials agreed that cooling continued after the flames were out.

Cooling means checking burned materials and applying water where heat remains, rather than assuming that the absence of visible flames makes the site safe. Agus said the large amount of wooden material in the damaged homes required continued attention. Firefighters and other emergency personnel remained on standby to reduce the risk of fresh hotspots.

Governor Hidayat Arsani visited the affected area and put safety, health and food at the top of the immediate response. He also described the fire as Indonesia's largest disaster of its kind. No national comparison was presented to substantiate that description, so it should be understood as the governor's assessment rather than an established ranking.

Two shelters housed 500 people

At 18:30 on October 11, BPBD recorded 300 evacuees at SDN 7 Simpang Rimba and 200 at Al Muhajirin Mosque. The same total of 500 appeared in the agency's 20:10 update. Agus said evacuation tents were full and that BPBD, social services, police and the military would add shelter locations.

The shelter count is different from the number of people affected by the fire. Many residents stayed with relatives elsewhere in South Bangka, and some returned to Palembang. Those families still faced losses even though they were not sleeping at an evacuation site.

Earlier accounts recorded about 60 people inside classrooms at SDN 7. That figure referred to classroom occupants, not necessarily everyone using the school's grounds or tents. It should therefore not be compared directly with the later total of 300 people at the school evacuation site.

The provincial government and social services established a field kitchen and evacuation tents on Saturday night. District officials also distributed snacks to residents sheltering in classrooms and prepared further communal cooking arrangements. Police announced plans for a public kitchen of their own. These were separate parts of the emergency response, rather than evidence that every planned kitchen was already operating.

Food, water and clothing reached the emergency post

South Bangka Regent Riza Herdavid visited affected residents and said the district would provide support according to their needs and the government's capacity. Assistance already being distributed included food, clean water and usable clothing. Other emergency provisions described by the district included medicines, mattresses, beds and communal cooking facilities.

Deputy Regent Debby Vita Dewi said the response brought together firefighting, health services and logistics. She and several department heads had been at the scene since Saturday night. Her instructions to residents were to stay calm and follow directions from personnel so that emergency work and aid distribution could proceed in an orderly way.

BPBD's collection post reported receiving 231 cartons of mineral water, 90 trays of eggs, 79 packages of clothing, 150 boxes of masks and 10 boxes of gloves. It also listed 242 sacks, without specifying their contents. The agency requested further donations of food, clothing, medicines, baby supplies and items needed by women.

The police response involved 170 combined personnel, supported by the provincial police. South Bangka Police Chief Agus Arif Wijayanto said the teams included counseling personnel, community police officers, medical staff and forensic identification officers. Their duties extended from helping displaced families to supporting work at the fire scene.

Doctors treated burns and eye irritation

Himawan Setianto, director of Kriopanting Payung Regional General Hospital, said the health response involved the Simpang Rimba, Pulau Besar and Payung community health centers, with medical staff working in rotation. An emergency health post and medicines were prepared for affected residents.

At the time of his update, staff had treated burns and eye irritation. He said symptoms of other diseases had not been found. Acute respiratory infections and diarrhea were risks being watched for, not confirmed outbreaks. Smoke, ash and combustion residue remained concerns around the damaged settlement.

Himawan urged residents to wear masks near the burned area and called for prompt distribution of clean water at the evacuation sites. He identified children and older people as groups requiring particular attention. Water supplies were needed for hygiene as well as drinking during displacement.

Repeated reports of no deaths should not obscure the injuries or continuing health needs. Authorities did not publish a complete injury count, and the medical response remained active while families were living away from home.

Schooling and electricity required separate adjustments

South Bangka education chief Ansori said affected children would not simply be placed on holiday. The education department was counting students and arranging teaching around their circumstances. Options included allowing attendance without official uniforms and sending teachers to evacuation posts when children could not reach school.

The department also prepared school supplies for children whose belongings had been lost. The number of affected students had not yet been announced, and Ansori said the arrangements would change with conditions in the community and schools.

Electricity company PLN sent personnel from the beginning of the incident to secure the network. Ira Savitri, general manager of PLN's Bangka Belitung regional unit, said crews checked damaged equipment before restoring supply in stages. Residents were told to avoid exposed or hanging cables and not attempt electrical repairs themselves. Hazards could be reported through PLN Mobile or the PLN 123 contact center.

Accounts of electricity service differed by time and location. Budi reported an outage and failed communication signals on Saturday night, while Riza later said affected residents could still use PLN electricity several hours after the fire. Neither statement establishes uninterrupted service throughout Serdang. Provincial legislature chair Didit Sri Gusjaya also expressed appreciation for the electricity crews' response.

Rebuilding proposals must address land and flood risk

Vira Dwi Seta, acting head of South Bangka's Housing and Settlement Areas Department, said homes with severe damage would be proposed for new construction. Her department's preliminary count of 305 affected homes matched BPBD's later evening figure, but assessments were still being updated.

Before construction, officials planned to check the administrative status of both houses and land. The department was coordinating with the village government to examine ownership records and possible use of village land for relocation. Replacement homes could be built in the existing area or at another location.

Relocation was being considered because the village government identified some parts of Serdang as vulnerable to flooding. The recovery decision therefore involves more than replacing houses lost to fire. Officials also have to determine whether the same sites are suitable for residents to return to.

Vira said the housing proposal would follow a separate process, supported by a disaster status designation, rather than being combined with other housing programs. No construction timetable, confirmed relocation site, approved housing budget or final list of beneficiaries had been announced.

The wider damage assessment was also unfinished. BPBD recorded 50 affected swiftlet buildings, structures used to house birds whose nests are harvested, while losses to public facilities were still being counted. The Rp2 billion estimate was provisional and was not accompanied by a detailed breakdown.

The cause is still under investigation

Provincial police spokesman Agus Sugiyarso said a combined police team was investigating the cause and would examine the scene. Authorities consistently described fire spreading from nearby land, but that does not establish what ignited the land or who, if anyone, was responsible.

Some accounts referred to land burning, while others described a peatland fire. Police Chief Agus Arif Wijayanto warned residents against clearing land by burning during the dry season and urged them to report hotspots promptly. His warning was a prevention message, not a finding that deliberate land clearance caused this incident.

The next steps announced by officials were further damage verification, examination of the fire scene, additional evacuation capacity and preparation of housing documents. No deadline was given for a final casualty and property inventory, an investigation result or approval of rebuilding assistance. District legislator Dian Sersanawati, who helped residents at the scene, had also called for government support during the emergency.

Key Points

• The October 10 fire spread from nearby land into Serdang's largely wooden residential buildings.
• BPBD's latest update, at 20:10 on October 11, listed 305 affected homes, 450 households and 1,800 people.
• Earlier figures reached 600 homes and 2,400 people. All counts remained provisional.
• Estimated losses were Rp2 billion across 8.3 hectares, with 50 swiftlet buildings also affected.
• Authorities reported no deaths. Medical teams treated burns and eye irritation.
• Five hundred evacuees were recorded at SDN 7 and Al Muhajirin Mosque, while many others stayed with relatives.
• Cooling operations, aid distribution, adjusted schooling and electrical safety checks continued.
• The fire's cause, final damage totals and arrangements for rebuilding or relocation had not been settled.