RANAU: Two families were left without a home after fire destroyed their houses and belongings in a blaze at Kg Mangkadait, Ranau, Wednesday afternoon.
The affected families were identified as Jin bin Doulik and Paulus Ebin, whose homes and essential household items were completely destroyed in the incident.
The fire was reported at about 2.30pm on Sept 2, with villagers rushing to the scene and attempting to put out the flames using available tap water.
However, the fire spread rapidly, destroying both houses before the arrival of the Fire and Rescue Department personnel.
Ranau Fire and Rescue Station chief PPgB Rantey Fred said the station received the emergency call at 2.45pm and dispatched five personnel to the scene.
The fire involved two non-permanent structures measuring approximately 20x20 feet and 20x30 feet, both of which were completely destroyed.
The fire crew arrived at about 4pm, covering a distance of approximately 68km from the station to the location.
Upon arrival, firefighters found that members of the public had already managed to extinguish most of the fire using tap water.
