2025 Waru Wora Traditional Village fire

The Waruwora Traditional Village Fire was a disaster that struck the traditional settlement in Patiala Bawa Village, Lamboya District, West Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia, on December 5, 2025. The incident burned down dozens of traditional houses and resulted in hundreds of people losing their homes.

Waruwora Traditional Village is an important cultural site in West Sumba that holds historical value and traditions of the Lamboya community. The area is known for its tower-shaped traditional houses with roofs made of thatch (ilalang) and walls made of wood and bamboo. A total of 36 traditional houses existed in the village before the fire incident.

Chronology

The fire occurred on Friday afternoon, December 5, 2025, around 16:00 WITA (Central Indonesia Time). The fire was first seen burning the back roof of one resident's house, belonging to Marsel Yeru.

Passing residents saw the flames and immediately shouted for help. Independent efforts to extinguish the fire by residents and witnesses were made by climbing onto the roofs and tearing off the burning thatch. However, the easily flammable materials of the traditional houses, such as thatch, wood, and bamboo, caused the fire to spread rapidly. Within minutes, the flames spread to neighboring houses.

Joint officers, consisting of residents, village officials, the district government, and the Police, arrived at the location. Firefighting efforts were supported by three water tanker trucks. The fire was only brought under control around 17:45 WITA, and officers continued cooling down the area until nightfall to PReVENT the fire from reigniting.

Impact

The fire disaster resulted in no fatalities. However, material losses are estimated to be substantial, reaching millions of rupiah.

The main impacts of the fire include:

• Building Damage: A total of 28 traditional houses were burned, with 26 houses completely destroyed and 2 houses partially burned.
• Affected Victims: A total of 41 Households (KK) with 139 people lost their homes.

Cause

As of several days after the incident, the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Police. Initial speculation points to sparks, which originated from the back roof of one of the houses when several residents came to the village to collect wood for pig pens.

Handling of victims

A total of 139 residents who lost their homes were forced to temporarily evacuate to the houses of nearby relatives.

The West Sumba Regency Government and the Social Service immediately responded by distributing emergency aid. The assistance provided included basic necessities (staple foods) and household furniture. The local government also prepared clean water facilities through The Public Works Department and planned to provide temporary shelter for the affected residents.

Recovery plan

The local government, through the Regent of West Sumba, promised long-term recovery steps, including the renovation of the burned traditional houses. Furthermore, the government conducted an inventory of the damage, including cultural artifacts that were successfully saved, as part of the effort to document and plan the restoration of the cultural village.

Despite the disaster, the West Sumba Tourism Agency stated that tourist visits to the Waruwora Traditional Village, both domestic and international, were unaffected and remained high.