Firemen keep vigil to ensure fire not rekindled

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AFTERMATH: Firemen apparently have left this water hose to do its job, saying it is too dangerous to enter the burnt premises.

SIBU: Firemen kept vigil on Monday night to ensure the fire that burned Harrison’s warehouse and the office block of Eastern Pillars at Lanang Road would not re-kindle.

When reporters returned to the scene yesterday morning, firemen were still spraying water on the burnt site.

They said they had had been keeping watch and would be there for the next 24 hours to ensure the fire was contained.

“Nearby residents can sleep in peace. We are here. In fact, after the Monday noon fire, we only called off the operation for two hours — at 4am Tuesday. At sunrise, another team was back.”

The fireman, who did not want to be identified, said they were working in shifts.

The wall and the roof of the warehouse have collapsed. The firemen said they would not enter for safety reason.

People living near the warehouse ran for their life on Monday and left their belongings behind.

A few residents described the horrific experience as a nightmare, saying the warehouse fire was the worst in Sibu this year.

The tragedy is estimated to have cost Harrison and Eastern Pillars millions of ringgit in losses.

A resident related: “When the fire was at its height on Monday, explosions were sound; it was like a fire cracker’s factory was on fire.”

Firemen said the explosion in the warehouse probably came from the mountain of mosquito spray cans inside.

A resident said all the goods meant for Sibu had all been burnt.

The housewife feared that some household products like cat canned food and diapers would be in short supply here soon as these were supplied by the warehouse.

A check with a supermarket here yesterday, however, showed that there was no rush for the household items.