A 62-door longhouse at Rumah Panjang Changai Lama, Ulu Niah, near here, was completely destroyed after being engulfed by fire last night.
Despite the extensive damage, no casualties were reported as the longhouse was believed to have been vacant and no longer occupied by residents.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said its operations centre received an emergency call at about 6.26pm before a team from the Batu Niah Fire and Rescue Station was dispatched to the location, which was located approximately 34km from the station.
Upon arrival at 6.58pm, firefighters found the non-permanent longhouse structure, which contained 62 units, had already been completely destroyed by the blaze. The building, estimated to cover an area of about 200 feet by 600 feet, suffered total damage.
The operation commander immediately carried out an initial assessment before directing firefighters to begin extinguishing efforts using several hose lines to prevent the flames from spreading.
A 700-foot hose line with two water jets, supported by a GP 10/10 portable pump drawing water from a nearby open source, was used to tackle the fire at the front and left side of the longhouse.
Another hose line measuring about 800 feet, connected to a Scania fire engine pump, was deployed to control the blaze at the rear section of the building. Additional support was also provided by personnel from the Lopeng Fire and Rescue Station using their equipment and a relay pumping system.
The department said the fire was brought under control at about 8.15pm, before firefighters continued with overhaul operations to ensure there were no remaining hotspots that could trigger a secondary fire.
The operation concluded at 12.39am after all personnel and assets were safely returned to their stations.
The firefighting operation also received assistance from Batu Niah police personnel and Sarawak Energy (SESCO) to help manage safety and security at the scene.
The cause of the fire and the total amount of losses are still being investigated.
