KUCHING: More than 31 hours of firefighting and overhaul works were needed to fully extinguish a massive warehouse fire at Demak Laut Industrial Park, with the operation only ending on Saturday evening.
The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said they received an emergency call at 12.23 pm on Friday, reporting the blaze at a row of industrial premises along Jalan Bako.
Three premises comprising an ice cream factory, a food products factory and a thinner storage facility were completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, a fertiliser factory sustained about 40 per cent damage and a logistics warehouse suffered about 10 per cent damage.
Firefighters from Tabuan Jaya station, assisted by personnel from Petra Jaya, Batu Lintang and Padungan fire stations, as well as members of the Bako Volunteer Fire Brigade, were dispatched to the scene.
Although the fire was brought under control at 3.54 pm, firefighters remained at the scene for another 27 hours and 46 minutes to carry out overhaul works, extinguishing concealed hotspots and ensuring the blaze would not reignite.
The operation was finally concluded at 7.40 pm on Saturday, about 31 hours and 16 minutes after the initial emergency call.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
The department said firefighters had conducted overhaul operations simultaneously at several affected premises using multiple hose lines and nozzles.
By 7.15 pm on Saturday, firefighters had successfully extinguished all remaining hotspots at most of the affected premises.
However, overhaul works continued at one of the premises, where piles of steel debris and restricted access made it difficult for firefighters to reach smouldering sections concealed beneath the wreckage.
A total of 52 firefighters were involved in the operation, supported by four fire rescue tenders (FRTs), an emergency medical rescue services (EMRS) vehicle, a water tanker and an aerial ladder platform (ALP).
