Neighbourly bucket brigade saves Permyjaya flat from fire

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Lopeng firemen inspecting the fire scene of a ground floor flat in Permyjaya.

MIRI: Residents of a flat in Permyjaya here avoided a major catastrophe through swift action when fire broke out in a vacant ground floor unit around 1pm.

Fortunately, neighbours next door spotted the fire and immediately scrambled a ‘bucket brigade’ with washbasins to douse the flames.

Fire superintendent Eddy Abdullah (right) and his personnel interviewing one of the residents during investigations.

Two fire engines from Lopeng Fire Station led by its chief, senior assistant fire superintendent Eddy Zulkifli Abdullah, rushed to the scene with 11 men after receiving a distress call around 1.21pm.

According to eye-witnesses, some teenagers were seen loitering at the unit prior to the fire and he and other residents believed they could have lit cigarettes inside.

The unit (of the flat) was destroyed in a fire on Chinese New Year eve this year, killing a family of three, and was left vacant ever since.