SIX family members escaped unharmed after a CCTV alert enabled them to evacuate a house belonging to Indera Mahkota UMNO division chief Datuk Mustaffar Abd Hamid before it was destroyed by fire here last night.
Mustaffar's 36-year-old son-in-law, Tuan Abdul Halim Shah Tuan Abdullah, said the fire broke out at about 7pm at their home in Taman Seri Kuantan.
He said they became aware of the incident after his child alerted him to a notification from the home's closed-circuit television (CCTV) system.
Upon checking, he was shocked to see flames near a washing machine and immediately unplugged it before moving the appliance to a safer location.
However, the fire had already spread to the electrical wiring and quickly intensified.
"I then called my mother-in-law, who was upstairs, and told her to leave through the back door with my wife and three children.
"I also tried to extinguish the fire using water and rags, but failed. I eventually decided to get out and save myself," he told reporters at the scene last night.
He said the blaze spread so rapidly that it became uncontrollable in less than 30 minutes.
Mustaffar said he was at his holiday home in Balok when family members called to inform him of the incident, prompting him to rush to the scene.
By the time he arrived, the house was already engulfed in flames, while firefighters were battling to bring the blaze under control.
He said strong winds had hampered firefighting efforts.
"Nothing was saved except the vehicles. The estimated losses amount to RM1 million.
"I have lived in this house for 43 years. I regard this incident as a test and accept it as God's will. Perhaps there is wisdom behind it," he said. - November 11, 2026
