KUCHING: One died, two suffered burns and close to 800 people were made homeless due to longhouse fires throughout the state since the beginning of this year until yesterday.
Within the span of the last five days alone, three longhouses, involving 89 bilek (individual units) with a total of 798 dwellers, were razed.
The latest was the 25-bilek Rumah Umpang in Ulu Bauh, Celon in Selangau, which was totally destroyed in a 9.59pm fire.
With the latest incident, a total of four longhouse fires were reported since Jan 1 this year.
The first incident was reported on Jan 15 involving 20-bilek Rumah Panjang Buyong in Jalan Lidong in Betong.
Fortunately, the fire affected only one bilek after the longhouse dwellers successfully put it out, according to a statement issued by State Fire and Rescue Services Department (Bomba) here yesterday.
The second incident, which resulted in the death of a handicapped woman and another suffering serious burns, was reported at Rumah Chandi, SK Sg Tau in Selangau on April 14.
This 22-bilek longhouse with a total of 230 occupants was totally destroyed in the incident.
The next day, 42-bilek Uma Bawang in Sungai Asap which had 407 occupants went up in smoke. One person was reported to suffer burns.
The Rumah Umpang fire made 161 homeless.
Meanwhile, on open burning fire cases, state Bomba Operations Centre disclosed that for this month alone 275 cases were reported.
The total area affected so far is recorded at 2,181.73 acres, it added.
The highest number of cases was reported on April 6 with a total of 23, followed by April 9 (21 cases), April 5, 7 and 8 (19 cases each), April 3, 10 (18 cases each), April 13 (15 cases), April 2 and 18 (15 cases each), April 4, 13 and 17 (13 cases each), April 15 (seven cases) and April 14 and 17 (five cases each).
