‘The people I met there, ten years ago, who hosted me and my crew in their longhouse, who fed us and looked after us, treated me with great kindness.’ – Unknown
Over 300 residents of a 30-door longhouse, Rumah Lapie, in Sungai Sinai, Ulu Sebauh, lost everything in a fire on Thursday morning.
Drone pictures shared of the fire swiftly engulfing the longhouse were heart-wrenching.
Firefighters from the Bintulu station rushed to the scene, about 34km away, after receiving a distress call at 11.09 am.
On arrival, they quickly put out the fire, using water sourced from a tanker.
Despite their hard work, 27 doors were completely destroyed while only three were salvaged.
The fire was brought under control by 11.50 am.
Luckily, no one was hurt or died in the fire. Only a 70-year-old man who experienced breathing difficulties during the incident was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The cause of the fire and losses incurred are still under investigation.
Although there has been a slight drop in longhouse fires in the state due to fire safety awareness programmes carried out by the Fire and Rescue Department in collaboration with the public, longhouse fires do happen again and again in Sarawak.
In longhouse fires, villagers lose not only their homes but also their possessions including money and valuable family heirlooms like ancient jars.
Sometimes, people, young or old, die in the fires.
As far back as 2021, Assistant Minister of Native Law and Customs, Datuk John Sikie Tayai had reiterated the need for new longhouses to be built in accordance with the standard fire safety specifications.
He said among fire safety features that could be used was to construct brick walls up to the roofs as fire breakers.
He pointed out that without these fire safety features, the blaze could spread faster in the event of a fire.
I wonder how many longhouses are following Sikie’s advice about these fire safety features.
However, two new longhouses in Baram have definitely been built with firewalls between the units.
This was disclosed by former director of the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department director, Datuk Khirudin Drahman during a press conference after launching a fire safety campaign in conjunction with the Gawak Dayak held at the Sarawak Bomba headquarters in Kuching in May 2022.
He revealed that the two new longhouses had such a feature because his department was working with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to develop the design.
However, the Fire and Rescue Department could not impose the firewall requirement on all longhouses because it was not a requirement under the Sarawak Building Ordinance.
According to Khirudin, the firewall was a requirement for longhouses which obtain loans from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and those which receive the RM70,000 compassionate aid after a fire.
Now, what about old longhouses? Can firewalls be built between the units? Can the state government fund such projects?
Longhouses are unique tourist attractions in Sarawak. They offer a unique cultural experience, showcasing traditional communal living and offering insights into the lives of indigenous communities like the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kayans and Kayans in the state.
For example, the 120-door Bidayuh longhouse in Kampung Annah Rais in Padawan is a popular tourist destination, There, visitors can watch villagers make handicrafts, harvest peppercorns and experience the process of making pepper powder.
It is a pity to lose more and more of the state’s longhouses, especially the old historic ones, to fires.
Maybe, the fire safety awareness programmes should be intensified for all longhouses, especially those in remote areas which cannot be accessed by the firefighters from the Fire and Rescue Department.
Villagers there should be equipped with fire extinguishers and be taught how to keep their longhouses safe from fires.
If nothing is done, more of the younger longhouse dwellers might opt for single houses. You see, single houses will reduce the risk of mass destruction by fire.
When that happens, it could spell the beginning of the end for our unique longhouses in Sarawak.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune.
