A Bali restaurant popular with Australian tourists has been gutted by fire after flames tore through the Chez Gado-Gado venue in Seminyak on Sunday evening.
The blaze broke out at about 7.40pm local time on August 30 at the restaurant on Jalan Camplung Tanduk, in the Badung regency. Diners and staff fled as the fire spread rapidly through the building.
Witnesses told local media that a loud bang was heard during a birthday celebration in the restaurant’s pergola area. Police said the fire may have started when a helium balloon came into contact with a candle, although the cause has not yet been established.
Restaurant security staff and employees initially tried to tackle the flames with portable extinguishers, but the fire quickly intensified after reaching the thatched material used in the pergola and roof.
Ten fire engines were sent to the scene, with crews taking about two hours and 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters also worked to prevent the flames spreading to nearby buildings, including an office next to the restaurant.
The restaurant and most of its contents were destroyed, while four motorbikes parked at the site were also damaged. Local authorities have estimated the material losses at about four billion Indonesian rupiah.
No deaths have been reported. Police said investigators from Kuta were working with the Bali forensic laboratory to determine the precise source of the fire.
By Monday, much of Chez Gado-Gado remained charred, although a rear kitchen area with a concrete roof was still standing. Businesses and hotels nearby had resumed normal activity after the emergency response ended.
