A birthday celebration at the Chez Gado-Gado restaurant in Bali’s Seminyak resort area turned into chaos on Sunday when a balloon allegedly exploded after being ignited by an unattended birthday candle, triggering a massive fire that engulfed the eatery.
Videos captured flames rapidly spreading through the thatched-roof restaurant, with witnesses describing panic as guests fled to the beach to escape the blaze. According to 9News, one Australian teenager sustained burns and was hospitalized, while other witnesses recounted the terrifying sequence of events.
Flames consuming the Chez Gado-Gado restaurant in Bali, Indonesia, during a fire that began on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (Chrissy Lomas via Storyful)
“The 70th birthday celebration featured two balloons and a cake. When a waitress accidentally struck a balloon with a lit candle, it burst into flames,” recalled Tara Borelli, a witness from Sydney. “Within minutes, the entire restaurant was ablaze. I grabbed my daughter and cousin and ran to the beach as the thatched roof caught fire.”
“It lit up like a firecracker—there was bedlam. People were screaming and crying, and we all ran in panic,” another witness, Paul Cole, described the scene to 9News. Fire officials confirmed it took over two hours to fully extinguish the flames, though initial attempts to control the blaze with extinguishers proved ineffective.
It took firefighters more than two hours to put out the flames at the Chez Gado-Gado restaurant in the Seminyak resort area of Bali, Indonesia, officials said. (Chrissy Lomas via Storyful)
First Inspector I Gede Adi Saputra Jaya of the Denpasar Police, citing witness statements, stated the fire was “strongly suspected” to have originated from the candle-balloon ignition. While local officials reported no fatalities, multiple injuries were confirmed, including the Australian tourist’s burns.
Witnesses reported chaos at the restaurant in Bali, Indonesia, after the fire erupted on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (Chrissy Lomas via Storyful)
“There were balloons, explosions, explosions—it was just terrible,” one guest described. Joe Xuereb added, “As soon as the fire started, we didn’t know what to do. It was just bedlam.”
The restaurant has announced it will remain closed temporarily pending investigations.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
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