A popular beachfront restaurant in Bali was gutted by fire as diners gathered for Sunday evening service, forcing customers and staff to flee the Chez Gado Gado venue in Seminyak.
The blaze broke out at about 7.30pm local time on 30 August at the restaurant on Jalan Camplung Tanduk, near Double Six Beach. Witnesses described hearing a loud bang before flames rapidly spread through the thatched pergola and roof.
Police said a birthday party was taking place inside the restaurant and that balloons had been brought in and installed by guests. A preliminary account suggests one of the balloons may have been ignited by a candle, although the cause remains under investigation.
Brisbane couple Hannah Shepherd and Jase Jackson had just been served their meals when they heard the noise and saw what Ms Shepherd described as a fireball rising towards the ceiling.
As smoke filled the packed restaurant, diners rushed towards the exits. Ms Shepherd said the building had been engulfed within minutes and described the experience as “really, really scary”.
She and Mr Jackson escaped through the back of the restaurant and later comforted an employee who had arrived for work, before returning to their accommodation at the nearby Double-Six hotel.
Indonesian authorities said no one was killed in the fire. Police have examined the scene and taken statements from four witnesses, while investigators from the Kuta sector are working with the Bali police forensic laboratory to establish how the blaze began.
Badung’s fire and rescue service said ten fire engines were sent to the scene after the alarm was raised by a restaurant security guard. Crews took about two hours and 40 minutes to bring the fire under control, using an estimated 115,000 litres of water.
The restaurant and four motorbikes were destroyed, according to police. Fire officials estimated the material losses at about four billion Indonesian rupiah, with property worth roughly 700 million rupiah reportedly saved from an office on the southern side of the site.
Other Australian visitors said they watched the fire from nearby restaurants and the beach as flames rose above the Seminyak strip. One Melbourne couple said they had considered dining at Chez Gado Gado that evening but changed their plans shortly before the fire.
The restaurant had operated for more than 30 years and was known for its Pan-Mediterranean menu, sunset views and relaxed beachfront setting. It was connected to the Double-Six group, which operates the nearby Double-Six Luxury Hotel, and had long been popular with Australian holidaymakers and expatriates.
Australian hospitality figure Robert Marchetti was previously linked to the venue through his work with Double-Six Hotel, where he served as partner and creative director for food and beverage operations before moving on to other projects.
Neither Chez Gado Gado nor its parent company had issued a public statement about the fire by Monday.
