Sade Traditional Village in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), was struck by a fire on Saturday night, 22 August 2026, destroying dozens of traditional buildings and affecting hundreds of residents.
The village, located in Rembitan Village, Pujut District, is one of Lombok’s well-known cultural tourism destinations. It is home to the Sasak community, which has preserved its traditional way of life, architecture and customs for generations. Many of the buildings are constructed from bamboo, wood and woven bamboo mats known as bedek, with thatched roofs, allowing the fire to spread quickly.
Preliminary information indicates that 120 households, or around 320 residents, were affected. Ancient lontar palm-leaf manuscripts, including the Rengganis manuscript, were also damaged or destroyed in the blaze.
Fire Suspected to Have Started Near the Village Mosque
Rohani, 37, a resident of Sade Traditional Village, said the fire broke out at around 10:00 PM Central Indonesian Time (WITA) and quickly spread through the settlement.
“Around 10:00 PM, the fire started and grew rapidly until it became a major blaze,” Rohani said on Sunday, 23 August 2026, as reported by Kompas.com.
The fire is believed to have started from a building near the mosque in the centre of the village, although the exact cause has not been confirmed.
“It started up there near the mosque, possibly an electrical short circuit or something similar, though we don’t know for sure; it began near the mosque. We tried to extinguish it with water at first, but couldn’t; the flames were too intense, and eventually, everything burned down,” she said.
As the fire intensified, residents fled towards the road to reach safety. Rohani said many were unable to save their personal belongings.
“We didn’t have time to save our belongings or clothes; everything was destroyed. Woven fabrics were all incinerated. We don’t yet know the full extent of the losses,” she said.
The fire was extinguished on Sunday morning, 23 August. Ridwan Maruf, Head of the Central Lombok Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), said authorities were still investigating the cause.
“Whether it was due to an electrical short circuit or other factors remains to be seen,” he said, as reported by Antara.
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120 Households Affected, No Fatalities Reported
Preliminary data from the authorities shows that 120 houses or households were affected by the fire.
Central Lombok Regent Lalu Pathul Bahri said around 320 people from 120 households had been affected. The Head of Rambitan Village, Lalu Winakse, said that 89 buildings had been completely destroyed, while other structures sustained minor fire damage.
West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal confirmed that no fatalities had been reported.
“The important thing right now is that there are no casualties; I have asked the hamlet heads, the police, and the village heads, and so far, there are no victims,” he said on Sunday, as reported by Kompas.com.
Iqbal said the local government would ensure that affected families received essential assistance, including food, clothing and security. He added that the provincial government would coordinate with the Central Lombok administration and other relevant parties to prepare recovery and reconstruction measures for the affected area.
Ancient Lontar Manuscripts Lost in the Fire
The fire also damaged part of the village’s cultural heritage, including ancient lontar palm-leaf manuscripts traditionally used during important Sasak ceremonies.
Residents were seen searching through the charred remains in an effort to recover what they could. Among the manuscripts found was the Rengganis manuscript, along with several others.
“This is the Rengganis manuscript,” said Jemain, a resident of Sade Traditional Village, on Sunday, as reported by Kompas.com.
The manuscripts are traditionally read during ceremonies such as weddings, the ngurisan ceremony, which marks a baby’s first haircut, and circumcision ceremonies.
“They are all ruined,” Jemain said.
The fire was not the first incident of its kind in the village. Talip, another resident, said Sade Traditional Village had experienced several fires in the past, although previous incidents had been smaller and successfully brought under control.
“So, this isn’t the first time it has happened; it’s actually the seventh. There were six near-misses that we managed to handle, but the seventh time had disastrous consequences: one caught fire, the flames couldn’t be contained, and everything was completely destroyed,” Talip said, as reported by Kompas.com.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire while the government prepares assistance and recovery measures for the affected residents and the traditional village.
