Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Fire burned 36 houses in a densely populated area in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar on Sunday, leaving 80 families homeless, the Makassar Indonesian Red Cross office head Syamsu Rizal said.

"Fortunately, no casualties in the fire had been reported. Only several people had minor injuries and a shock," he added.

Meanwhile, Makassar mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin said the fire was caused by illegal power consumption there.

On Thursday last week, a fire ravaged dozens of houses in a densely populated part of Makassar.

Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out at Andi Mahmud's house and later spread to the nearby buildings.

Residents did not know for sure what had caused the fire. Some said it came from an exploding gas stove, while others believed it was caused by a short circuit.

A total of nine fire trucks were sent to the scene. But poor access to the location hampered smooth efforts to put out the blaze. The fire was extinguished almost an hour later.

There was no immediate report of casualties or material damage.

 Tallo police chief Adjunct Commissioner Ahmad Mariyadi said they were still trying to find the cause of the fire.(A051/B/S012)