Fire Devastates Kasepuhan Ciptamulya Indigenous Village, DT Peduli Mobilizes to Support Survivors

DTPEDULI.ORG | BANDUNG – A fire disaster struck the Kasepuhan Ciptamulya Indigenous Village, Cisolok District, Sukabumi Regency, on Saturday (25/7/2026). The flames, suspected to have originated from an electrical short circuit in the public bathroom area, rapidly consumed dozens of traditional houses, most of which were made of wood and thatched with ijuk. Until Sunday (26/7), DT Peduli continued to conduct assessments and distribute aid to affected residents.

Preliminary data from the Sukabumi Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded 51 houses severely damaged. At least 70 heads of households or approximately 210 people were affected by this disaster. Additionally, 49 rice barns belonging to residents were burned, threatening the food reserves of the indigenous community.

Now, the indigenous village area is almost leveled to the ground. Most survivors chose to evacuate independently to relatives' homes while awaiting further data collection from the government. BPBD is still calculating losses and verifying data to support the next phase of response.

The stories of survivors left deep sorrow. Many residents did not have time to save their belongings because the fire spread rapidly. Even the clothes they wore while escaping became the only thing they possessed.

"The clothes we wore were just tattered clothes. Usually when going to the fields we bring spare clothes. Ah, because it was Sunday night going to the fields without bringing spare clothes, we only had what we had. Even the sandals were the worst sandals we wore to walk," said one of the survivor women in Sundanese.

DT Peduli's Humanitarian Team consisting of Gingin, Ardlyansah, and Rizal were immediately deployed to the location from the first day of the incident. Various emergency response efforts were carried out, ranging from needs assessment, coordination with BPBD, to humanitarian action with combined volunteers.

On the first day of response, DT Peduli distributed 200 packages of ready-to-eat food and five boxes of mineral water to affected residents. Volunteers also helped move rice from barns that could still be saved to safer locations and conducted cleanup operations in the affected area.

Nevertheless, the response process still faces various challenges. Mountainous terrain with narrow road access makes aid distribution not yet optimal. On the other hand, several rice barns are still emitting sparks, so residents and volunteers must continue cooling efforts to prevent secondary fires. The availability of clean water is also a constraint because many pipes from mountain springs were cut off due to the fire.

In addition to ready-to-eat food and drinking water, survivors also need new clothes, underwear, blankets or sarongs, hygiene supplies, personal protective equipment for cleanup activities, worship supplies, masks, and equipment such as shovels, hoes, dustpans, and garbage bags.

DT Peduli hopes that the recovery process can proceed more quickly so that the people of Kasepuhan Ciptamulya Indigenous Village can rebuild their lives.

"Please pray for us, hopefully there will be aid activities that we will distribute to those affected in Sirnaresmi Indigenous Village and Ciptamulya Indigenous Village, Cisolok District, Sukabumi Regency. We ask for prayers from colleagues and donors so that this activity can run smoothly," said Gingin.

Read also: Bringing Hope, DT Peduli South Kalimantan Distributes Food Packages and School Supplies for Fire Survivors