Fact Check: Did Residents Burn Gas Station over Fuel Policy?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A photo of a police line guarding a burning gas station (SPBU) is circulating on Facebook [archive]. The post claims the gas station was deliberately set on fire by residents because they were prohibited from purchasing subsidized fuel due to overdue vehicle taxes.

This claim emerged after the price of non-subsidized fuel increased and issues of subsidized fuel shortages surfaced in several regions. However, is it true that the police guarded the gas station after residents set it ablaze to protest the new fuel purchasing policy?

FACT CHECK

Tempo verified the content using a reverse image search on a web search engine and compared the narrative with credible reports. The results showed that the gas station fire in Aceh actually took place in 2024 and was suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit in a Suzuki Carry during refueling. Meanwhile, the image of police officers guarding the burning gas station was found to be a machine-generated image manipulation.

An analysis using AI or NOT tool showed a 73 percent confidence level that the image was fake and a 50 percent chance of it being a deepfake. The detection model also concluded that the image had a 69 percent similarity to content generated by OpenAI's GPT-4o model. Meanwhile, the Truth Scan tool estimated the probability of the image being fabricated at 79 percent.

Gas Station Location Verification

An alternative video of the gas station fire showing no police presence has also been circulating on social media. This video matched a photo from a Tribunnews report covering a fire at a gas station on Jalan Teuku Umar, Simpang Terminal Terpadu, Subulussalam City, Aceh Province, on October 10, 2024.

At the 33-second mark, the video shows campaign banners displayed in front of the gas station. At the 37-second mark, a green-roofed building is also visible, which is consistent with the details in the news report. The layout and location of the gas station also matched the TV One broadcast covering the incident..

Local outlet Aceh Info reported that police suspect the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in a Suzuki Carry that was being refueled. According to witnesses, flames erupted from the front of the car before quickly spreading to the surrounding area.

Three fire trucks and one tactical water cannon belonging to the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) Company 2, Battalion C Pelopor, were dispatched to the scene. The fire was extinguished after about an hour. The fire destroyed a Suzuki Carry and two fuel dispensers.

Subsidized Fuel and Vehicle Tax

Ahad Rahedi, Area Manager of Communication, Relations, and CSR for Pertamina Patra Niaga for East Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara, stated that the ban on purchasing subsidized fuel for vehicles with outstanding taxes only applies in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, as reported by BeritaSatu.

According to Ahad, the policy was issued by the regional government, not state-owned gas firm Pertamina. Pertamina only distributes subsidized fuel under a cooperation agreement with the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas).

"That is the responsibility of each provincial government. Essentially, Pertamina will adapt to the policies of each region," said Ahad on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

According to news agency Antara, NTT Governor Melki Laka Lena issued a ban on subsidized fuel for tax-evading vehicles through Gubernatorial Regulation No. 13 of 2025 concerning the Optimization of Motor Vehicle Tax, Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax, and Heavy Equipment Tax.

Melki stated that he would continue the policy despite the protests and controversy. "This is not to make things difficult for anyone. We want to ensure that government subsidies truly reach those who are entitled to them. Those who have fulfilled their obligations must receive their rights," he said in the July 6, 2026, report.

CONCLUSION

Tempo concludes that the narrative claiming the photo shows police guarding a gas station set on fire by residents protesting the tax-linked subsidized fuel ban is false.

TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM

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