Two houses destroyed in a fire at Lorong Tupai 1, Teck Guan Villa in Kota Kinabalu.
KOTA KINABALU: Six families lost their homes in three separate fires in Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Kinabatangan on Sunday.
State Fire and Rescue Services Department public relations officer Superintendent Mohd Affendy Ramin said two houses were destroyed in a fire at Lorong Tupai 1, Teck Guan Villa in Kota Kinabalu just after midnight on Sunday.
A distress call was made to the Kota Kinabalu fire and rescue station at 12.18am before 33 firefighters in six fire engines rushed to the location.
Firefighters managed to control the blaze by 12.48am and ended the operation at 3.30am.
Three houses destroyed in a fire at Kg Bariawa Ulu Jalan Kimanis in Keningau.
The second incident took place in Keningau where three families were made homeless after fire destroyed their homes at Kg Bariawa Ulu Jalan Kimanis.
Mohd Affendi said nine firefighters from the Keningau fire and rescue station responded to the distress call at 4.30am and managed to control the blaze by 5.28am before ending the operation at 6am.
A victim told firemen at the scene that the smell of smoke woke her up just after 4am.
She saw a fire from under her bed, where she had placed a lit mosquito coil before she went to bed.
The fire spread to two other wooden houses but did not cause any injuries.
It is learnt that the victim had woken up her other family members and screamed for the neighbours to leave their houses as well.
The third fire burnt down a wooden house at Kg Batu Putih Jalan Sandakan/Lahad Datu in Kinabatangan at 5.30am.
Mohd Affendi said the Kinabatangan fire and rescue station received a distress call at 5.58am and deployed six firefighters to the location.
Firefighters managed to control the fire by 6.56am before ending their operation about an hour later.
No untoward incidents were reported in all the fires, said Mohd Affendi, adding that the causes are still under investigation.