Longhouse headman Stevens Gadis Nyua showing his Fire and Rescue Department hero certificate for putting out a fire in his longhouse on June 1. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Quick action by the headman of Rumah Stevens in Julau prevented a fire from spreading at the longhouse on the first day of Gawai last month.
Stevens Gadis Nyua, 58, responded promptly to put out the flames in one of the bilik (family apartment) on June 1.
"Every Gawai we will pray from door to door. What happened then was that a lit candle fell and burnt the altar and wallpaper.
"Then the wallpaper dropped onto the cushions and started a fire," he said.
Stevens said he was sitting at his ruai (covered verandah) when he heard shouts of fire.
Although there was a fire extinguisher next to him, he did not pick it up but ran instead to another extinguisher closer to the bilik that was on fire.
"I thought I could run faster without the extinguisher. So I ran fast like Usain Bolt, took the fire extinguisher and started spraying.
"In a matter of moments the flames went out. Then my nephew came with another fire extinguisher just to make sure the fire was out.
"I checked everything, including the ceiling and cushions, and the fire was completely out," Stevens said.
He said the villagers were fortunate that the fire did not burn down the longhouse.
"Only the living room suffered a lot of damage which cost about RM30,000, as all the furniture was burnt," he said.
For their prompt action, Stevens and his nephew Caleb Engka Kudang received hero certificates from the state Fire and Rescue Department.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid presented the certificate to Stevens here on Friday (July 8), while Caleb was not present.
Stevens, a teacher at SK Lubok Assam in Julau, said he had received training from the Bintangor fire station on preventing and putting out fires.
"They are very active in going to longhouses and schools. I learnt a lot from them, not just once but many times, and it is very useful," he said.
Stevens also said longhouse headmen should be the first to respond to emergencies like fires.
He suggested that every longhouse should increase their number of fire extinguishers to reduce the response time.
"Every bilik should have one fire extinguisher so that whoever is closest to the source of the fire can react fast," he said.
Mohammad Hamdan commended Stevens and Caleb for their heroic action in putting out the fire.
He said the department would continue to carry out outreach programmes to train villagers in fire safety and management.
"We want to empower the community to become first responders," he said.
