A 72-year-old man suffered burns to his left arm after a two-storey house he was living in caught fire in Kampung Changkat Dain, Sungai Bakap on Wednesday afternoon.
In the incident at about 12.43pm, the elderly victim managed to escape before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director John Sagun Francis said they received an emergency call and rushed to the location immediately.
He said the fire involved a semi-permanent two-storey house measuring about 40 by 80 feet.
Damage to the property was estimated at around 80 per cent, he added.
The victim sustained first-degree burns on his left arm and received initial treatment from Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) personnel before being sent to Sungai Bakap Hospital for further treatment.
Firefighters carried out both offensive and defensive tactics to control and extinguish the blaze.
The fire was brought under control at 1.08pm and fully extinguished by 1.20pm.
Post-fire inspection and overhaul works were later conducted to ensure no remaining hotspots could reignite the fire.
The operation involved 16 personnel from the Sungai Bakap Fire and Rescue Station, assisted by the Nibong Tebal station and the Valdor Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The case has been handed over to the Fire Investigation Unit to determine the cause of the fire.
