KOTA KINABALU: A fire at the coastal village in Pulau Gaya here late Tuesday (July 5) saw seven families lose their homes.
Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire that completely destroyed six houses and damaged 50% of two other houses at Kampung Lok Urai.
The Fire and Rescue Department said it received the emergency call at 11.06pm on Tuesday, and a team was sent from the Kota Kinabalu station.
The fire was earlier handled by 15 of the island’s voluntary firemen using water sourced from a supply vessel.
“The team upon arriving inspected the scene to ensure no more risks and took information regarding the incident.
“The operation ended at 12.40am,” said a spokesman from the department.
Meanwhile, the district disaster management committee secretariat said on Wednesday (July 6) a relief centre was on standby but had not been activated, as the seven families opted to stay with relatives.
In a separate incident, workers’ quarters near a school along Jalan Tuaran in Menggatal caught fire at 8.43pm on Tuesday.
The Fire and Rescue Department said the non-permanent unit measuring about 6m x 18m (20ft x 60ft) was 100% burnt, but no casualties were recorded.
The spokesman added that the fire was brought under control at 8.56pm and the operation ended at 10.32pm.
