By Nancy Nais
NIAH, March 25: The 25-door Rh Brian longhouse with 190 residents located in Kampung Sg Teh, Ulu Suai was miraculously saved from being razed to the ground thanks to the swift action by villagers.
Using 29 fire extinguishers and pails of water, residents managed to extinguish the flames before they spread to the rest of the longhouse.
Miri Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) chief Law Poh Kiong disclosed that the fire started from one of the kitchens in the centre between 9pm and 9.15pm.
“At that time, most of the residents were already asleep when one of them heard her dog barking non-stop, prompting her to wake up and check. When she saw the fire in the kitchen area, she immediately screamed for help and within seconds, residents from other doors rushed over to assist.
“Some also took the effort to break open and remove the ceiling roof that connects the kitchen to the main longhouse in their desperate attempt to stop the fire from spreading while few others rushed to nearby Saremas plantation seeking help from the workers,” Law said.
Bomba operations centre received the emergency call through MERS 999 at 9.18pm and dispatched a team of firefighters led by PBK II Mahamud Punya from Niah station to the scene.
It was understood that the journey took firefighters 45 minutes to arrive due to its remote location and they had to pass through an oil palm plantation and rocky roads.
On top of that, firefighters had to walk 3km from the main road on Pan Borneo highway junction to the longhouse because their fire engine could not enter the narrow road.
All the residents were reportedly safe while the cause of the fire is being investigated.
Meanwhile, Law disclosed that residents from Rh Brian and workers from Saremas plantation had in fact attended two fire safety talks and training with Bomba in collaboration with Petronas SSGP on June 12, 2018, and April 1, 2019.
“This shows how importance and effectiveness of the department’s fire and safety awareness, basic knowledge of fire fighting and forming of Bomba community. I also urged every longhouse to have fire extinguishers in each door and perhaps a siren or PA system which they can use to alert and announce to all the residents during emergency cases like this.
“I also urge the government to look into the dire need of piped water supply for all longhouses in the state. This will not only provide clean drinking water but it will also indirectly provide fire hydrants water to help residents fight the fire,” Law asserted. – DayakDaily
