MIRI: A devastating pre-dawn fire tore through a 29-door longhouse in Kampung Labau, Bekenu, early today, reducing the entire structure to ashes and leaving dozens of families displaced.
The blaze at Rumah Nelson Ningkan along Jalan Sungai Saeh was reported at 1.17am, prompting an emergency response from firefighters at Batu Niah and Miri Sentral fire stations.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at 1.40am to find the sprawling wooden longhouse already fully engulfed in flames.
Despite the scale of the fire, no casualties were reported.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said all 29 doors of the longhouse were destroyed in the incident.
A total of 11 firefighters were deployed in the operation, supported by two Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) engines and an Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) vehicle.
Firefighters from Miri Sentral mounted an aggressive attack from the front section of the longhouse using two hose lines measuring 300 feet and 800 feet.
Meanwhile, personnel from Batu Niah battled flames from the rear and side sections with two additional hose lines measuring 600 feet and 800 feet in an effort to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The operation continued into the early morning as firefighters carried out overhaul works to extinguish remaining hotspots and prevent reignition.
The cause of the fire and the estimated value of losses are still under investigation.
