SANDAKAN: Just 10 days after a devastating blaze wiped out about 1,000 homes in Kampung Bahagia, Batu Sapi, another fire razed 30 homes in Kampung PPH Karamunting, about 5km away.
The fire, which broke out at 3.16am yesterday, is believed to have started in a house while its occupants were away, before quickly spreading to other homes.
Firefighters managed to contain the fire and prevented it from spreading to about 120 other nearby houses.
No casualties or injuries were reported.
Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Jasri Ab Jal said the two fires in Sandakan are a reminder for residents to be more vigilant, particularly during the current hot and dry weather.
He noted that most fires are often linked to carelessness, forgetfulness or negligence during cooking or when using electrical appliances.
“Do not leave cooking unattended,” he said.
Windey Rahim, 47, said she rushed home from work after being informed of the fire, only to find her home smouldering and her children nowhere to be seen.
“I was trying to find my children. I did not know where they were. Everyone was running about,” she said.
Although her children were eventually found safe, she lost all her belongings in the fire.
Windey said she knew of the earlier fire that ravaged Kampung Bahagia and sympathised with the victims, but never imagined her own family would face the same fate.
She hopes that her family would be given a new home under the People’s Housing Project (PPR).
A sobbing Nurhidah Abdul Halim, 46, said the fire spread so quickly that she did not have time to react or save any belongings.
“I only managed to grab my grandchild and flee.
“I did not even manage to take a single item from the house,” she said.
Nurhidah lamented the loss of her cherished kitchenware, which she had collected over the years, as they were used during communal feasts and played an important role in Bugis culture.
“Everything is gone. I could not even save a glass,” she said.
Another villager, Sarina Saidin, 57, said she initially thought the noises she heard in the early hours was due to a burglar.
“We saw that the neighbour’s house was already on fire when we woke up.
“The fire spread very fast and it was too strong to bring under control,” she said.
She said she only managed to grab important documents and a gas cylinder before fleeing.
About 40 families, comprising 186 individuals, were affected by the fire and were relocated to a temporary relief centre set up at Dewan Kampung Air.
