Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Jakarta – A major fire broke out at the Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI)'s oil refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Saturday morning. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. So far, there have been no reports of casualties.

The local community first noticed the flames around 4:38 a.m. Central Indonesia Time. Several videos capturing the growing inferno quickly went viral on social media.

"Praise be to God, the firefighting team has managed to control the situation, and cooling efforts are currently underway," said Bayu Arafat, General Manager of Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) Unit Balikpapan, in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.

He stated that the firefighting efforts were supported by seven fire trucks from KPI Fenirey Unit V and one fire truck from the Pertamina Group in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Additionally, static fire grounds around the location were activated to help extinguish the fire and localize the heat source. The team is continuing to ensure that there are no remaining heat sources in the area.

Furthermore, he mentioned that the fire was confined to the refinery area, so it did not have a direct impact on the community. However, continuous monitoring is being conducted to prevent any long-term adverse effects.

"In addition, we are monitoring fuel production to ensure that the supply to the public is not disrupted," he added.

Heavy rain in Balikpapan has been deemed helpful in the firefighting efforts within the Pertamina Balikpapan refinery area.

While the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, as of 7:09 a.m., the flames have been successfully extinguished, leaving only white smoke visible at the site.

This is not the first time the Pertamina Balikpapan refinery has experienced a fire. On March 4, 2022, a fire broke out in Plant 3 Bravo HCC RU V. Despite the fire, the refinery's operations were not hindered. Additionally, on March 15, 2022, a fire at Plant 5 in the Balikpapan refinery resulted in the death of a contractor worker and caused heat exposure injuries to two other contractor workers.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/fire-strikes-kilang-pertamina-internasionals-oil-refinery-in-balikpapa