The central market in Ubud suffered severe damage from a fire that raged through the building on August 17. The flames erupted in the eastern part of the market’s basement. The fire was caused by a short circuit in stall number 3, which sold t-shirts and other textiles.
Twenty-one fire teams fought the blaze, with many crews coming from neighboring areas. Locals and even visiting tourists spontaneously formed volunteer firefighting teams with buckets to help extinguish the fire. Meanwhile, shop owners, risking their lives, tried to navigate through the flames to save their goods.
The fire destroyed the contents of many shops and numerous nearby motorbikes. The flames were so intense that smoke enveloped the nearby Ubud temple across the road from the market and the large statue of Catus Pata Ubud, also nearby.
Shocked by the destruction, the head of the Ubud palace and former Bali Vice Governor Cokorda Artha Ardhana Sukawati stated that to prevent future disasters, both visible and invisible forces must be employed. While he may have a point, even simple fire extinguishers could have been useful if used in time, let alone automatic fire suppression systems.
In 2022, the traditional Ubud market, known as the "Ubud Art Market" or "Pasar Ubud," was closed for renovation. The new market, where the fire occurred, reopened in May 2023. It is located in a two-story building on Ubud’s main street, opposite the royal palace.
The Gianyar regency administration has now declared the Ubud market closed while officials search for acceptable alternatives for the fire-affected vendors. Ardhana Sukawati also expressed concern about the fire, primarily because it occurred during the peak tourist season: “The high season is a great opportunity for those working at the Ubud market to increase their income. Now a disaster has happened. I hope the situation will be resolved quickly, and we can find a temporary location for the vendors.”
The fire destroyed the property of 400 vendors. There were around 1,033 stalls in total at the market. The monetary value of the damage from the fire is yet to be calculated. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed in the fire.
Gianyar Regency Secretary Dewa Gede Alit Mudiarta, who was also present at the fire scene, said: “This is a catastrophe, a tragedy that no one could have predicted. We coordinated our efforts with all municipalities and districts, including Denpasar, Klungkung, Bangli, and Badung. The situation was handled as best as possible.”
Extinguishing the flames took 8 hours. Those fighting the fire blamed the prolonged blaze on the market’s construction, which had only one entrance to the basement from the west side of the building. Limited access hindered firefighters’ ability to approach the fire from necessary directions. As a result, some rescuers had to lay hoses through private homes adjacent to the market.
The former Vice Governor of Bali stated that he was unaware of the issues related to the market's restricted basement access. He has instructed to address the design flaws during the renovation.
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