Fire fighters at work.
The aftermath of the fire.
KUCHING: Four wooden houses in Kampung Selipar Putus, Tabuan Melayu off Jalan Pending here were completely destroyed in a fire at about 4pm yesterday.
They were home to 25 adults and children, most of whom were either napping or out of their respective houses at the time of the incident.
Those taking a nap managed to run for their lives and very little belongings could be saved from the disaster.
Fire and Rescue Service Department (Bomba) Kuching zone chief Tiong Ling Hii said his men received a distress call only at 4.41pm.
“Nobody seemed to be aware of the fire when it first started. Most of the victims that I have talked to said they were napping during the fire.
“By the time we received the call, the fire was already spreading fast and got out of control.
“But we managed to save a fifth house nearby from being damaged,” he told reporters at the scene near the Muara Tabuan Light Industrial Estate in Pending.
Fire fighters managed to put the fire under control by 5pm.
Tiong said two individuals sustained minor injuries in the fire and they were treated by the Civil Defence Department on the spot.
He said it was not clear yet where and how the fire started, but believed it could have started from one of the houses in the middle.
“As we arrived at the scene, three of the houses were already severely burnt, no thanks to the wind direction, the fourth house could not be saved,” recalled Tiong.
He believed that had someone in the area made the call earlier, not all the four houses would be totally destroyed.
“We could have tackled it fast, but no one informed us earlier. Furthermore, there is only one access from the front and we cannot go in from the back.”
Tiong added that 30 fire fighters from three Bomba stations in Tabuan Jaya, Batu Lintang and Kuching Central (Padungan) were deployed to the scene.
Asked about estimated loss, he said: “At this point of time, we do not know.”
One of the victims, Adis Zen, 34, said he was driving his wife to work when the fire took place.
“I have been living here for four years now.
“I was sending my wife to work when the fire happened,” said the self-employed father of three.