ALOR GAJAH: Eight individuals narrowly escaped from being burnt together with their houses in Lorong Zakaria, Jalan Alor Gajah, yesterday after failing to extinguish the fire themselves. The wooden houses were razed to the ground.
The incident that occurred around 11.20am involved eight individuals from two families aged 4 to 58 years old.
"I tried to extinguish the fire with a wet blanket and poured water, but it didn't go out and kept spreading," said one of the victims Muhammad Ridzuan Jasmi, 17.
"Then, a neighbour came and told us to shut off the main switch and quickly evacuate the house and save ourselves."
Ridzuan said during the incident, he was sleeping in the living room before being awakened by a relative telling him that the kitchen was on fire.
"I was looking after my brother's five children while he, who works at a restaurant with his wife and eldest child, was out working.
"Luckily, one of the child who eating in the kitchen noticed the fire. otherwise, I don't know what would have happened to us.
"However, nothing could be saved, including two motorcycles, as the fire spread so quickly," he said at the scene.
Meanwhile, their neighbour, Asnita Asmadi, 20, who lives nearby, said she and her mother, Romaiza Muhamat, 58, who suffered from various health complications, were grateful that they managed to save themselves.
She said during the incident, her father, Asmadi Cha, 56, was out to fix the car and she was about to eat lunch when she smelled the smoke.
"Initially, I thought it was coming from the burning garbage until being shocked by the screams of the neighbour's children, telling us that their house's kitchen was on fire.
"I immediately run into the neighbour's kitchen and saw the fire rapidly burning the walls.
"I then told them to shut off the main switch and quickly evacuate the house to prevent any unwanted incidents," she said.
Asnita said their neighbour's children tried to extinguish the fire, but due to the wooden structure of the houses, both homes were quickly engulfed in flames.
Meanwhile, Deputy Fire Superintendent II Mohd Khusairy Deraman said they received a call on the fire at 11.23am.
Then 18 personnel and vehicles from the Alor Gajah and Cheng Fire and Rescue Station were dispatched to the scene, arriving within five minutes.
"Upon arrival, it was found that the fire in the two houses, occupied by 12 individuals from two families, was still raging but was successfully controlled by noon and completely extinguished an hour later," he said
Khusairy added that the cause of the fire and the estimated losses were still under investigation.