KOTA KINABALU: A concerted effort between the Fire and Rescue Services Department and local authorities is vital to reduce fire cases in Sabah, especially at squatter colony areas.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Services Department director Khirudin Drahman said they hoped to sit together with the local authorities to discuss on issues pertaining to town planning and prevent the mushrooming of squatter colonies all over the state.
“There have been rampant fire incidences in squatter colonies and normally those affected are on a large scale.
“It is hoped that the fires in squatter colonies lately will provide guidelines to the department and other relevant authorities to take the necessary action,” he said.
Khirudin was commenting on the fire at the Lembaga Padi squatter colony in Likas on Monday night after launching the department’s blood donation drive at its headquarters in Lintas yesterday.
He said six engines from three stations were dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call at 8.46pm.
They arrived at the scene within 17 minutes and the fire was put under control around midnight.
“Forty men from the Kota Kinabalu, Lintas and Penampang stations were rushed to the scene. They faced a lot of problems such as low water pressure, bad traffic and narrow roads which hampered their work,” he said.
Khirudin said that they had estimated only 40 houses were affected by the fire involving 200 families, instead of 200 as reported earlier.
“We were able to detect the number of houses affected via Google mapping,” he said.
The fire was believed to have started from a house which had been left vacant for about five years.
The victims, mostly foreigners, are putting up at the multi-purpose hall in Likas.