Family of eight left homeless after fire destroys workers’ quarters in Miri

MIRI (Feb 26): A workers’ quarters unit of a ready-mix concrete company at Jalan Kuala Baram here was destroyed in a fire on Wednesday, leaving eight residents homeless. No injuries were reported.

A spokesperson for the Sarawak Operations Centre of the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said the emergency call came in at 4.58pm.

A team of seven personnel from the Lutong Fire and Rescue Station, located about six kilometres away, arrived at 5.05pm.

“Upon arrival, the operations team found the fire had engulfed the entire workers’ quarters structure, measuring about 30 by 50 square feet,” the department’s spokesperson said in a statement.

The blaze also caused about 40 per cent damage to a Modenas Kriss motorcycle.

Firefighters assessed the situation before deploying a 400-foot hose line and using two jets from an open water source to contain the fire.

It was brought under control in less than 30 minutes and fully extinguished at 6.43pm.

The cause of the fire and the total losses are still under investigation.

The operation was assisted by three members of the Kampung Muhibbah Kuala Baram Community Fire Brigade.

The fire involved a four-door workers’ quarters unit. Two units were used for storage, one was vacant, and the remaining unit was home to eight family members — a man, his five children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandchild.