JOHOR BAHRU: A lorry and engine oil storage facility on Jalan Cenderai 27, Taman Kota Puteri, Masai, was partially destroyed in a fire this afternoon.
The Johor Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre said no casualties were reported.
The department received an emergency call at 12.54 pm, and the first fire engine arrived at the scene at 1.06 pm.
It said the fire was already raging when firefighters reached the scene.
“Preliminary estimates indicate about 60 per cent destruction. Strong winds caused the fire to spread to a disused waste oil storage area,” it said in a statement.
The firefighting operation involved 34 personnel from the Pasir Gudang, Johor Jaya, Tebrau, Kota Tinggi, and Larkin Fire and Rescue Stations, as well as the Mount Austin and Ulu Tiram Volunteer Fire Brigades.
It said 14 foam canisters were used in the firefighting efforts, which were still ongoing at the time this report was filed.
A Bernama check from 2 pm observed a large blaze with thick black smoke rising up to 100 metres into the air, visible from more than five kilometres away along the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Expressway.
Several explosions were also heard, causing alarm among residents.
According to a Bernama reporter at the location, the fire also spread to a housing area located about 50 metres from the scene, with the heat felt by residents of nearby Taman Megah Ria.
Zulkarnain Mohamad Nor, 63, a resident, said it was the first such incident in the area and that it was deeply worrying, as his house is just about 50 metres from the fire.
“At about noon, I saw thick smoke, and not long after that, the fire spread very quickly. It might be due to spilled oil from the storage area, but I’m not sure,” he said.
He claimed that several lorries parked there were completely burned.
He said residents were especially worried that what happened in Putra Heights recently might be repeated here.
“The fire department has also told us to evacuate,” said Zulkarnain, who has lived in the area for 20 years.
Housewife Elesha Alwi, 42, said she was terrified after hearing a series of loud explosions.
“The fire broke out around 1 pm, but loud bangs could already be heard from around noon. I didn’t expect that by 1 pm, flames would be soaring with thick black smoke.
“I was at home with my three children; we were really scared. The police told us to evacuate, and my family and I exited through the back door,” she said.
