SANDAKAN — A devastating fire razed approximately 1,000 wooden stilt houses in Kampung Bahagia early Sunday morning, leaving hundreds of families homeless but miraculously claiming no lives.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) received the emergency call at 1.32am and deployed firefighters who arrived at the scene 15 kilometres away at 1.48am.
The blaze, which consumed an estimated 10-acre area of non-permanent dwellings built over water, was brought under control by 8.43am after more than seven hours of intense firefighting operations.
Operations Commander for Sandakan Zone, PgB Jasri Ab. Jal, reported that firefighting teams faced significant obstacles during the operation.
“Narrow access roads prevented fire trucks from reaching the affected area directly. The low tide made it extremely difficult to access open water sources, while strong winds and closely-built houses caused the fire to spread rapidly,” he said.
A total of 37 firefighters from Sandakan and Kinabatangan stations were deployed, supported by 10 volunteer firefighters from Karamunting.
Firefighters conducted both offensive and defensive operations using 12 water jets with 1,000 feet of hose on the left and right flanks of the fire zone. Additional support from Kinabatangan station deployed four jets with 400 feet of hose.
Water was sourced from tanker trucks, high-pressure hydrants at the nearby IOI factory, and seawater.
Authorities confirmed no injuries or fatalities resulted from the incident. Overhaul operations and thorough inspections confirmed no remaining hazards in the area before operations concluded at noon.
While, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The operation also involved 50 Civil Defence Force members, 30 police personnel, utility company SESB staff, and a two-person drone unit.
