Fire destroys two houses at Bukit Penyau, 11 left homeless
SIBU: Eleven people were made homeless when fire destroyed two houses at Bukit Penyau in Salim here early yesterday.
The two detached units shared a common kitchen and were a part of the nearby longhouse, Rumah Dana.
According to one of the house owners Lee Chee Yung, in his 40s, they were all unable to save much of their belongings as the fire spread too fast.
It is learned that Lee and his wife lived in a unit with their four children, their son-in-law and two grandchildren, while his mother and younger occupied the other unit.
Lee also had a grocery store at his house.
“My daughter was the first to notice the fire when she went to the toilet at 1.15am. She and her siblings were watching television in the living room at the time.
“She saw sparks on the ceiling in one of the bedrooms and alerted others.
“I ran out in my shorts – that’s all I have now. The shirt I’m wearing now was given to me by a relative. All our belongings went up in smoke,” said Lee, adding that the fire also destroyed his motorcycle.
However, he managed to save his four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD).
“I left the key to (to the 4WD) inside the burning house. I then broke the glass on the driver’s side window and pushed it to safety. Still, the 4WD is partially burned due to the intense heat,” he said.
There were no casualties reported. However, Lee estimated their losses to be over RM100,000.
At the moment, they are staying with some relatives.
According to spokesperson from Fire and Rescue Department, the Sibu station received a distress call at 1.22am.
“Fifteen firefighters on board two engines were rushed to the scene where upon arrival, the fire was already at its height,” the spokesperson said, adding that the firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the other units.