A man suffered severe burns after reportedly attempting to put out a fire that engulfed his home in Kampung Padang Perahu, Jitra, on Thursday evening.
The incident, which occurred at around 6.32pm, left the victim with burns covering nearly 70 per cent of his body. He was given emergency treatment at the scene by the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) team from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) before being rushed to Hospital Jitra for further medical care.
According to the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre, an emergency call was received via the 999 hotline at 6.32pm, prompting firefighters from the Jitra Fire and Rescue Station, together with volunteer fire brigades from Tunjang and Kodiang, to respond immediately.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at 6.44pm and found a two-storey Class B house measuring approximately 9.1 by 12.2 metres engulfed in flames. Initial assessments estimated that around 60 per cent of the property’s structure had been destroyed.
Authorities said the victim sustained serious burn injuries while attempting to extinguish the blaze before emergency crews arrived. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of trying to tackle large fires without the proper equipment or training.
Firefighters battled the blaze using two hose lines spanning about 30 metres with four water jets, drawing water from the fire engine’s onboard tank with assistance from the volunteer fire brigades.
The cause of the fire and the total value of the damage remain under investigation.
