MIRI: A four-wheel-drive (4WD) burst into flames along the Pan Borneo Highway in the early hours of Wednesday, triggering a swift response from firefighters in Batu Niah who raced to stop the blaze from escalating.
The alarm was raised at 1:55 a.m. by the driver, who had pulled over at KM 846.5 of the Bintulu–Miri stretch after spotting smoke seeping from the engine bay. Within minutes, the front of the vehicle was engulfed.
A fire engine from the Batu Niah fire station was mobilised almost immediately.
According to Batu Niah Fire and Rescue Station Chief, Rary Binjie, the crew left the station at 1:56 a.m. and reached the scene 14 minutes later.
By the time they arrived, the engine compartment was fully ablaze.
Firefighters launched an attack using a 100-foot hose line supplied by the engine’s water tank.
The flames were brought under control at 2:50 a.m. and fully extinguished ten minutes later. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle was completely destroyed.
The five-man firefighters led by PBK I Raymond Sigan carried out final checks to ensure no hotspots remained before clearing the scene. The crew returned to the station at 3:25 a.m.
