KUCHING: Swift action and quick thinking play an important role in saving lives and property during a fire.
Such attributes were demonstrated on June 1 by Bomba volunteers from Kampung Sungai Buloh, saving a longhouse from being destroyed.
A socket caught fire in the 48-door Kampung Sebuyau Ensengei Iban in Sebuyau.
Receiving a distress call at 9.53pm, a team of Sungai Buloh Bomba volunteers rushed to the scene. They managed to put out the fire under five minutes.
Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director Khirudin Drahman praised the actions of the 10 volunteers who saved RM3.34 million worth of property from being destroyed.
“The first five minutes are the most important and crucial in a fire incident, and if we are not able to act during that time, it will lead to a bigger fire,” he said after handing over fire extinguishers and certificates of appreciation to Kampung Sungai Buloh Simunjan Bomba volunteers at the State Bomba headquarters here.
“It takes about 44 minutes for Asajaya Bomba to reach the scene due to the 40.5km distance. Without the team’s (volunteers) fast action, the longhouse would’ve been done for,” he continued.
Khirudin also stressed that the community need to acknowledge the importance of Bomba volunteers, particularly when immediate action is called for during a fire.
“The 3L (lupa, lalai, leka — forget, careless, incautious) must be avoided, especially during the festive season.
“So far, there have been eight fire cases involving longhouses, with four longhouses successfully saved, incurring only minor losses,” he revealed.
“There are around 4,000 longhouses in the state and fire stations cannot be set up in each area.
“Thus, the establishment of Bomba volunteers has proven to be worthwhile as seen by what happened at Kampung Sebuyau Ensegei Iban longhouse,” he said.
