SINGARAJA

A cattle-breeding centre belonging to Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika was destroyed in a fire on Monday afternoon.

The farm in Seririt, Buleleng, was home to 40 Balinese cattle.  It is believed that the blaze started after smouldering incense sticks were carelessly left by local children who had been making kites on the property.

“After assembling their kites, they left some of the incense burning, and it started a fire in some of the dry straw on the north side of the main cowshed,” said Putu Muliasa, the governor’s younger brother who runs the breeding centre.

All the cattle were rescued, but a large section of the infrastructure was destroyed, after the fire, which started in the north of the complex, spread to a large haystack.

After attempts by employees to extinguish the fire failed, two fire engines arrived and were able to put out the flames.

Buleleng Police currently investigating the blaze.