BUTTERWORTH: They have ageing electrical systems, with poorly insulated wires and old switches, lack the failsafe of modern systems, and largely have timber floorings and walls.
One spark and they can go up in flames.
Many pre-war buildings within the George Town heritage enclave pose a fire risk, said the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).
Its deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman said these buildings often do not meet specifications under the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984.
While the law mandates that the facades of heritage buildings must be preserved, he said the interiors should be upgraded over time.
He urged owners of heritage and pre-war structures in the enclave to reassess their fire safety measures.
“I have asked the Penang Fire and Rescue Department director to engage with heritage building owners’ associations to address this issue.
“We will also carry out periodic inspections to ensure compliance with established safety standards,” he said after the Penang Fire and Rescue Department Excellence Service Awards here.
The matter was raised after a fire at a pre-war shoplot in Lebuh King killed veteran lawyer Datuk San Markan Ganapathi, 88, and his clerk, Chandra Binwani Jiwatram, 60, earlier this week.
The George Town World Heritage Zone has more than 5,000 buildings, almost equally distributed in the core and buffer zones.
Ahmad Izram said several samples from the scene had been sent to the Fire Investigation Vehicle and Electrical Laboratory in Shah Alam to determine the cause of the fire.
“The results are expected in two weeks. The lab specialises in analysing fires related to electrical wiring systems and equipment. The investigation will also involve other agencies such as the Energy Commission and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB),” he said
Ahmad Izram said Penang had recorded fire-related losses totalling RM23.86mil this year, but had managed to save an estimated RM45.07mil worth of property within the same period.
The department, he said, was also concerned over a surge in false emergency calls.
JBPM Penang had recorded 11 false emergency calls between January and March this year.
“This is highly wasteful. It not only involves significant operational expenditure but can also affect our response to real incidents elsewhere,” he said.
He also highlighted an increase in open burning incidents earlier this year, largely due to extreme hot weather conditions that reached up to 38ºC since January.
“A total of 121 forest fire cases were recorded, followed by 546 bush fire incidents and 10 cases involving farms and plantations,” Ahmad Izram said.
However, he said the situation was expected to improve following increased rainfall in Perlis, Kedah and Penang.
