Ten bars at Perancak Beach (Pantai Perancak) in Canggu have burned to the ground. The structures were made of wood and bamboo, and not a single one could be saved. No one was hurt: the bars were closed and the security guards managed to get out.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, at around half past three. The flames started at the Himawari bar, and police have only one preliminary theory — a short circuit. A strong wind off the ocean then drove the fire on, and it spread to the neighbouring buildings.
The alarm was raised by a man who was spending the night at the Tono bar: he woke up from the heat, ran outside and saw that Himawari was fully ablaze. Together with people from the nearby Bali Life, he tried to beat back the flames with whatever was at hand, but they could not manage it.
Pak Dera, Ogok, Paris, Andre, Tattoo, Bali Life, Tono, Himawari, Amertha and Bamboo all burned down. Nothing was left inside, and everything in all ten places was destroyed. Five fire crews fought the blaze, and the amount of damage is still being calculated. The owners have been advised to file a report with the police.
The fire spread quickly because of the flammable materials and the wind. The bars along this stretch are built of wood and bamboo and stand right next to each other, and on an open shore the wind fans the flames within minutes. Something similar happened at Bingin a year ago: there it took five and a half hours to knock down a fire that ran through dry grass and thatched roofs.
Perancak is part of the Tibubeneng coastline, the same stretch as Berawa. Authorities have been inspecting development along this shore since last year: everything from free public access to the ocean to parking and waste management.
That same Saturday, the Suwung landfill near Denpasar caught fire: the flames covered an area of roughly 15 by 5 metres and were put out in seventeen minutes. The heat is being named as the cause.
Sources: detikBali, BALIPOST.com
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