KOTA PADAWAN: The cause of a massive fire that destroyed nearly 100 per cent of a tyre factory and its contents at Mile 9 here is still under investigation, with losses yet to be determined due to limited cooperation from the factory owner.
Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director Jamri Masran said the department received an emergency call at about 11.10pm last Saturday before firefighters arrived at the scene 20 minutes later to find part of the factory already engulfed in flames.
“The fire was believed to have started on the left side of the building. Additional teams arrived about 12 minutes later to assist as the fire spread rapidly, fuelled by flammable materials such as paper and other unidentified substances,” he told reporters during a site visit to the scene on Tuesday (Nov 4).
Jamri said the operation involved four fire engines from various stations and about 44 personnel daily, including support from two volunteer brigades from Simpok.
The blaze was successfully brought under control by 5am to prevent it from spreading to nearby factories, though operations continued to extinguish hidden embers beneath piles of heavy machinery debris.
“Local authorities assisted by providing excavators to help move the debris. Monitoring work continued until Friday to ensure no rekindling occurred.
“This time, we managed to control the fire within a week despite the hot weather conditions,” he said, adding that the factory had previously caught fire in 2009, which took a month to fully extinguish.
Jamri added that Bomba had received complaints from nearby residents about the lingering smell of smoke and dust, for which the department has apologised. The odour was believed to have originated from unidentified burnt materials.
He also said the department received little cooperation from the factory owner but commended the surrounding community for their assistance and understanding.
“We will look into using alternative suppression mediums such as foam in the future for fires involving tyres and paper.”
Meanwhile, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau chairman Milton Foo urged the relevant authorities and the factory owner to promptly dispose of the burnt tyres to prevent further environmental and health issues for nearby residents.
“The residents here are appreciative of Bomba’s efforts, but their main concern now is how to dispose of the burnt tyres.
“Please don’t leave them unattended as they could cause another problem.”
Foo emphasised that environmental responsibility lies with everyone and hoped that prompt action would be taken to address the aftermath of the fire.
