Vidya Pinandhita, Jakarta – A massive fire that swept through Kasepuhan Cipta Mulya customary village in Cisolok district, Sukabumi regency, West Java, last week destroyed homes and generations-old cultural assets, renewing concerns over the vulnerability of indigenous communities to climate-related disasters.
The blaze affected around 400 people from 80 families, according to Cisolok Police chief Adj. Comr. Bayu Saeful Bahari, while Sukabumi Regent Asep Japar estimated the losses at Rp 2.5 billion (US$138,481) as reported by Kompas.
Beyond destroying homes, the fire also wiped out cultural heritage preserved across generations and erasing a living repository of indigenous knowledge and tradition, said Ricky Aprizal, head of emergency response at the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN).
"The fire at Kasepuhan Cipta Mulya is truly heartbreaking. Residents' homes, rice barns and even the Imah Gede were completely destroyed," Ricky told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, he was referring to the customary leader's house and the symbolic center of the community.
"We can only imagine how difficult it is for the indigenous community," he added.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said the fire broke out on July 24 and was fully extinguished the following night. A state of emergency remains in effect until July 31, with dozens of residents still staying in temporary shelters or with relatives.
Bayu said investigators believe the blaze started with an electrical short circuit in a communal bathing facility before rapidly engulfing the village. The fire destroyed 65 houses, 49 leuit (traditional rice barns), the Imah Gede, a mosque, an integrated health service post, an early childhood education center and several kiosks.
Like many indigenous settlements across the archipelago, Kasepuhan Cipta Mulya is dominated by wooden buildings, valued for their naturally cool interiors and earthquake resilience but highly susceptible to fire. Combined with strong winds during the current dry season, the flames spread through the village within minutes.
The incident highlights how indigenous communities remain among those most exposed to climate-related hazards despite contributing little to the climate crisis compared with large-scale industrial activities, Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) campaigner Uli Arta Siagian said.
"During prolonged dry periods, strong winds, dwindling water sources and the absence of rainfall make fires much harder to control," Uli told the Post on Wednesday.
"Traditional houses are highly flammable. The problem, however, is not the houses themselves, but the state's failure to address the growing risks brought by the climate crisis."
The fire was not an isolated incident. In December last year, another blaze destroyed 28 of 36 traditional houses in Waru Wora customary village in East Nusa Tenggara after an electrical short circuit reportedly ignited dry thatch, bamboo and wooden structures.
The series of incidents underscore the urgent need to strengthen fire prevention and disaster preparedness in indigenous communities, Ricky said, noting that communities must be better equipped to cope with increasing fire risks driven by longer and hotter dry seasons.
"It is crucial to equip customary leaders with knowledge on fire prevention and emergency response," he said.
"Communities also need firefighting equipment, as well as better understanding of electrical systems and the dangers of short circuits, especially during prolonged dry weather when the risk of fire is much higher."