MORE than 40 homes were reduced to rubble in two separate fire incidents in Sabah over the past 24 hours, with no casualties reported as residents managed to escape in time.
In the first incident, 17 houses were destroyed in a late-night fire at the Skim Penempatan Kinarut near Papar on Saturday.
According to Assistant Director of Operations at the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Muhammad Taqiuddin Victor Doon, the department received a distress call at 11.22pm.
“A total of 39 firefighters from five stations—Papar, Penampang, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran—were deployed to the scene,” he said at the site.
“Upon arrival, 17 homes were found to be fully engulfed in flames. Firefighting operations were carried out using five water jets supplied by fire engines,” he added.
The blaze was brought under control by 12.25am and fully extinguished by 4.06am.
“The quick response helped prevent the fire from spreading to nearby houses,” he said, adding that the cause and estimated losses are still under investigation.
The operation also involved assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Civil Defence Force (APM), and Sabah Electricity.
In a separate incident earlier the same day, 24 homes were reported destroyed in a fire at Kampung Mengkabong, Tuaran, at around 3.30pm.
Tuaran Fire and Rescue Station Chief Mohammad Nor Amit said a call was received at 3.34pm, prompting the dispatch of 24 personnel from Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Putatan stations along with three fire engines.
“Twenty-three semi-permanent houses were completely destroyed, while another was 50 per cent damaged,” he said when contacted.
“A vehicle was also lost in the fire, though fortunately, no injuries were reported.”
Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control by 5.15pm, with the operation ending at 10.38pm.
Fire suppression was supported by additional water tankers from the state water department, along with aid from PDRM, APM, and Sabah Electricity.
Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of either fire or the total value of the losses incurred. - July 27, 2025
