Grandmother, family lose home to morning fire
KUCHING: A grandmother and four other members of her family, including a paralysed daughter, were left without a home after a fire reduced their semi-wooden house to ashes early yesterday.
The fire was discovered around 5am at Kampung Siol Kandis in Petra Jaya shortly after the 62year- old grandmother, identified only as Masni, woke up.
According to her, she was making her way to the kitchen when she heard ‘crackling’ noises and saw part of the area already engulfed in flames.
Shei mmediately roused the other occupants in the house, namely her wheelchair-bound daughter and three grandchildren, and told them to immediately get out of the double storey structure.
“The flames spread quickly to the wooden upper section of the house and soon engulfed the whole structure.
“None of us had any time to salvage any of our belongings,” said Masni, who has been living in the house for the past 40 years.
Estimating her losses at RM200,000, the grandmother nevertheless said she was grateful that her family members were not hurt in the incident, adding that they would be putting up at a relative’s house nearby while deciding their next course of action.
The fire saw 18 personnel from the Tabuan Jaya and Petra Jaya fire stations despatched to the scene after a distress call was received at 5.18am.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.