PETALING JAYA: Firefighters faced severe challenges controlling a massive blaze at a wood processing factory on Jalan Besar Kapar, Klang, early Thursday morning (Sep 3) due to the absence of fire hydrants at the scene.
The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department responded to an emergency call at 1.04am, dispatching 24 personnel and officers alongside heavy machinery to the site located eight kilometers from the Kapar Fire and Rescue Station.
Units from six additional stations—Klang Utara, Klang Selatan, Subang Jaya, Port Klang, Bukit Jelutong, and Petaling Jaya—were mobilised to assist in the operation.
According to Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Ashrul Riezal Asbar, the first team arrived within nine minutes to find a Class A fire consuming the 1.6-hectare facility.
"The fire was estimated to have affected 80% of the premises," Ashrul Riezal said in a statement. "Efforts to bring the situation under control were delayed as there were no fire hydrants available at the location."
By 3.40am, operations were still underway to fully contain the blaze.
To combat the inferno without a direct water source, crews deployed water tankers and operated eight continuous streams using mechanical tank pumps.
