TAWAU: Eighteen houses were destroyed in a fire at Kampung Kurnia Jaya, here, on Wednesday.
No casualties were reported.
Tawau Fire and Rescue Station Chief Jemishin Ujin said firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading further in the densely populated residential area, saving around 500 nearby homes.
“We received an emergency call at 4.20pm through our station hotline and deployed 20 personnel to the scene, arriving at 4.34pm,” he said.
The operation was led by Senior Fire Officer Rosliee Suyut and Senior Operations Commander Mazlan Sarman, with additional support from five Kunak Fire and Rescue personnel, six Titingan Community Firefighters and 18 members of the Civil Defence Force.
Four policemen were also stationed around the area to maintain order and control traffic flow.
The fire affected wooden homes in the water village settlement and also destroyed a sedan parked at the scene.
Firefighters deployed a defensive strategy using two 400-foot hoses and two jets drawing water from fire engine tanks and seawater.
Two drone unit operators provided aerial surveillance to assess the extent of the damage.
The operation was declared under control at 4.45pm and ended about an hour later after ensuring the scene was safe.
The cause of the fire and total losses are under investigation by fire authorities.
