TAWAU: A 71-year-old man sustained burns to his hands when a fire swept through a squatter settlement at Kampung Hidayat, Batu 4 Jalan Apas on Monday, destroying at least eight wooden houses and a car.
The victim was rushed to Tawau Hospital for further treatment, according to the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department.
The blaze broke out in the densely populated area but was brought under control within 40 minutes, preventing it from spreading to around 350 other homes and a nearby factory.
An emergency call was received at 11.50am via MERS999, and a team from the Tawau Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later.
A total of 18 firefighters, led by Senior Fire Officer I Mohd Yahya Abd Fatah and Assistant Fire Supt Madzlan Sarman, carried out both offensive and defensive operations using two water jets across a 400-foot hose line, with water sourced from fire engines and storage tanks.
They were assisted by seven members of the Kampung Titingan Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Kampung Hidayat Community Fire Unit.
Also deployed to the scene were personnel from the police, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, and the Civil Defence Force (APM).
The situation was declared under control at 12.32pm, and operations were fully concluded by 2.15pm after confirming no further hazards.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the total losses are still being assessed.