Massive blaze at Lutong squatter colony leaves 42 homeless

MIRI (March 19): A devastating fire at the Kampung Pasir squatter colony in Lutong here early Thursday morning has left 42 villagers homeless.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said it received an emergency call at 4.06am and dispatched firefighters from the Lutong fire station, assisted by teams from Lopeng and Miri Central.

Upon arrival at 4.15am, firefighters found the blaze had already engulfed several non-permanent houses in the densely populated settlement at Lorong 4, a stone’s throw away from the Lutong fire station and about 7km from the other two stations.

“The fire eventually razed 10 houses to the ground, six of which were occupied, displacing families comprising 42 individuals. Four other houses were unoccupied at the time of the incident.

“Despite the scale of the fire and early hours, no injuries or fatalities were reported,” Bomba said in a statement.

Lutong fire station chief Henry Jugah said firefighters led by operations commander Edwin Siba acted swiftly to contain the blaze, bringing it under control at 4.53am before fully extinguishing it at 7.45am.

“Two hose lines measuring 300 feet with four nozzles were deployed to combat the fire.

“Water supply was channelled from nearby hydrants using relay pumping over a distance of about 600 feet to ensure continuous flow,” he said.

He added firefighting efforts were hampered by the congested layout of the area, which limited access for fire engines, as well as the distance to the nearest water sources located on the main road.

A total of 24 firefighters, supported by three fire engines and other emergency response vehicles, were involved in the operation while the police were also present to assist.

The cause of the fire and estimated losses have yet to be established.