A fire broke out on Monday (18 August 2025) at the site of the former Blue Ocean Hotel on Bingin Beach, Pecatu Village, South Kuta, Bali, disrupting ongoing demolition work on illegal buildings in the area.
According to South Kuta Police Chief Kompol I Komang Agus Dharmayana, smoke was first noticed around 11:00 AM.
“The fire then spread to buildings in the surrounding area. At 1:00 PM local time, the fire intensified again and burned the remaining debris from the demolition,” he said, as reported by detikBali.
Dharmayana explained that the incident was initially spotted by a supervisor overseeing land-clearing activities. Witnesses saw smoke rising from a pile of straw beneath the cliff before it spread to nearby structures.
Local residents quickly reported the fire to the fire department, but terrain challenges made it difficult for large vehicles to reach the site. The Badung Fire Department deployed smaller units, although even these struggled to access the area.
“There were no casualties in this incident,” Dharmayana confirmed. Police are still assessing the full extent of the damage as they investigate the cause.
Sparks and Wind Blamed for Blaze at Bingin Beach Demolition Site
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The Badung Regency Government had been in the middle of demolishing 48 commercial buildings on Bingin Beach due to regulatory breaches, including violations of Law Number 27 of 2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands.
The fire complicated the process, forcing demolition work to be temporarily suspended.
Suryanegara, Head of the Badung Regional Police Unit (Satpol PP), gave further details. He noted that firefighters initially thought they had brought the blaze under control around midday.
“It has now started to subside. This was caused by sparks from cutting iron that ignited the grass and spread to the thatched roof of the building,” he explained at about 4:45 PM, adding that wind conditions had played a major role.
Ida Bagus Ratu, Head of Investigation and Inquiry at the Badung Public Order Agency, explained why iron cutting was underway.
“The iron must be cut so that the heavy machinery can operate. If not removed, the debris could block equipment wheels,” he said, as quoted by WartaBali.
The team had considered alternative methods such as using shears for smaller iron and grinding machines for larger pieces.
“The option of using a grinding machine was considered. But using a grinding machine is essentially the same, as it also produces sparks, even more erratically,” he noted.
By early afternoon, sparks from cutting work had reached a thatched roof, setting it alight.
“Before noon, a small fire broke out. But it was already extinguished, and the fire was deemed out. Even the heavy equipment helped to cover the remaining debris,” Ratu said. However, the flames reignited shortly afterwards, fuelled by wind.
Coordination was established with the Badung Regency Fire and Rescue Service (Diskarmat). Still, access difficulties delayed the response.
“The fire brigade couldn’t get in because the vehicles that arrived were too large. So we asked the fire brigade to bring in smaller vehicles,” Ratu added.
Even then, the narrow and risky terrain hampered their efforts.
By late afternoon, officials reported the fire was under control, thanks to joint efforts by firefighters, demolition workers and local residents.
“According to our version, the fire has actually been extinguished through the joint efforts of various parties, including local residents. However, the fire department is still on standby at the location to ensure that the fire is completely extinguished,” Ratu said around 5:13 PM local time.
For now, demolition work is paused until the situation stabilises. Authorities continue to monitor conditions and assess next steps for clearing the site.
