TAWAU: Fire swept through Kg Sri Aman at Batu 3 Jalan Apas here, early Sunday, destroying some 60 water village houses and a mosque.
The blaze, which began around 7.30am, created challenging conditions for firefighters who had to wade through mud due to a broken bridge and low tide while battling the flames.
Tawau Fire and Rescue Station Chief Jemishin Ujin said three residents suffered breathing difficulties and received attention from Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) personnel.
The fire department responded promptly after receiving an emergency call at 7.46am.
Through swift action, firefighters managed to contain the inferno by 9.20am, preventing its spread to roughly 250 nearby houses.
“Our team covered a two-acre area, deploying hose streams extending up to 600 feet from our engines,” Jemishin said.
The operation faced challenges due to the tightly packed wooden structures and unpredictable wind conditions.
“The fire team had to make two fire breaks by demolishing two houses to ensure the fire did not spread to other places.
There was also a collapsed bridge preventing our movement to put out the fire and we also had to ask for the help of the villagers to help lift the pump," he said.
Despite the challenges, Jemishin said about 250 houses were saved due to the fire breaks.
The response effort mobilised substantial resources, including four fire engines, two four-wheel drives, an EMRS unit, a water tanker and a van.
The operation involved 55 firefighters, including reinforcements from Kunak, alongside 17 Civil Defence Force personnel, eight police officers and three Sabah Electricity staff.
The operations ended at 11.20am after the team made sure there no remaining hazards.
While the incident caused no fatalities, authorities are still investigating the fire's cause and assessing the total damage.
One of the fire victims, Wati Majuran, 30, recounted the terrifying moment she discovered the fire.
“I was sweeping under the stairs when my four-year-old son shouted from the top of the house, ‘Mother, mother, fire, fire!’ I immediately rushed upstairs and saw the fire had already spread to the kitchen. My children were in the room, some still asleep. I panicked and could only think about saving my four children,” she said.
Wati said she managed to grab the children’s birth certificates before fleeing the house.
Some 60 water village houses and a mosque were destroyed by fire
“I don’t know how the fire started. Alhamdulillah, everyone is safe, though my youngest son hit his head on the wall,” added the housewife, whose husband works in Kunak.
Hotel worker Karim Abdul, 40, said he received a phone call about the fire and rushed to the scene.
“When I arrived, I found the house already engulfed in flames. Alhamdulillah, the children and other residents are safe, but the fire spread quickly, and the erratic winds made the situation worse,” he said.
