BINTULU: A fire broke out at a sawmill in Kemena Industrial Estate, Bintulu, on Sunday night (Dec 8), causing extensive damage but there were no reports of injuries.
The blaze engulfed a permanent structural plywood factory, covering an estimated area of 1,000 x 200 square feet, with nearly 70 per cent of the facility destroyed.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) reported receiving an emergency call about the fire at 7.45 pm.
Firefighters from Bintulu, Kidurong, and Tatau stations were immediately dispatched to the scene.
However, their efforts were hampered by multiple explosions during the incident, believed to have originated from barrels of nitrogen and oxygen stored at the facility.
“Firefighters faced challenges entering the site due to the repeated explosions,” according to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Operations Centre.
Efforts to manage the situation continued into the early hours this morning.
By 5 am, factory workers began transferring unburned wood using forklifts, but the fire remained active.
Extinguishing operations were still underway at 6 am, according to Bomba.
The fire also caused damage to Kidurong’s fire engine during the response.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
