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Thursday, February 25, 2010

24th Feb - Taman Keladi Forest Fire

Around 9pm, after a short nap, trying to online for while, then heard a calling "Bomba Semeling, Standby, Forest Fire Huge". I just OMG! Again! After take those cloth, pant and fire helmet then rushing to the meeting spot. When I reach there, walao ei, so many teammates until the little fire truck packed. Haha. While on rushing to the fire scene, we counted number of members who on the truck. Break the record, 18 persons in total.

While we reach there, it is beside the express way. At first, we move to top of the mountain, so "exciting" cause the road is so "nice". The fire just at the "leg" of the little mountain. Other than fire, we can see also night view which kind of beautiful. Haha. After found there is no way down to the fire, then we move down and searching for alternative road.

I didn't follow the truck but with the bike of CRSM members, since it faster then the truck. With the guide of local people, we found there is little path seems can move in. After took torchlight from member on the truck, me with another teammate start searching for way to where the fire was. It's first time I'm moving in only two persons a group with a torchlight in the middle of forest. After about 200 meters, we found it then after while other members was here too. We can see  the fire is moving toward us. We just can move backward until water support is reached.

 
 


About 1 hour consumed to pull out the fire totally. It's amazing experience to move in the forest with only torchlight. Actually it's kind of dangerous because at first we don't have any self-protecting weapons. Honestly I'm kind of scare of wild dangerous animals like snakes, wild boars. The fire is moving toward us, sure the wild living will escape toward us. Next time, i think i need to prepare myself a parang. Haha.

 
 

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

First Time Been Deadly Fire Scene

After I been joining Volunteer Fire Team of Semeling which established at my hometown for several months, finally I'm in mood to start record my experience as a volunteer firefighter. For the first post of this blog, it would be a sad case which happen early morning of 23 February 2010 at Jitra, Kedah.

About 1am, I'm having late tea with friends at favorite spot which called Panjang after finished my last minutes company profile. After had a mee goreng, then we have some chat about fire incidents with two other newly joined teammates. Suddenly, Bomba Kedah, a channel of PTT for fire reporting is reporting there is fire at Jitra which burning a building. At that time, I'm not really want to leave the tea cause we are one hour drive far away from there. Until they told the fire is huge, then we decided leave to standby at our temporarily dept.

I called my captain and ask whether want to turn out or not, but he refuse because it's too far. Then a friend from other team asking want to go there by personal, then I answered yes and meet him with bringing three other teammates. After while my captain was came over with personal car with two other teammates as well. Then we together depart to the fire scene.

After about 50 mins drive, finally we are there and there are so many fire trucks. And the fire was under controlled as well. We observing how other teams work cause we are so new and need to learn as much as possible.

 
  
After some time, we found that there is many firefighters gathered in front of a shop which been burnt. Then, I heard a friend told that there is two kids which from that shop house was missing and these firefighters were searching for them. After some time of searching, these kid were not found nor the bodies, so we all hope that they are able to escape and went someone else home. We staying there quite long of time waiting for a good news. Feel so bad when listening their mom calling their name with microphone of fire trucks. On that time we wishing they will come out. However, it doesn't happen. 

Then, we decided to leave because it's too late, already 3am something. Just 5 mins away from there, my friend received the bad news, their bodies was found, they are dead. Hope was gone, especially for their parents and family. So pity of them.

This first time I been a deadly fire scene, the feel just too bad especially when we all believe they not inside the house but at last the believe was broken. It's totally different feeling of being there witness everything and just read the new through newspaper.

Video from Ulu Tiram VFD
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1141673592#!/video/video.php?v=1433413395764&ref=mf

Other related news coverage:

Chinese
http://chinese.cari.com.my/news/chinapress/content_new.php?dt=2010-02-24&sec=malaysia&art=0224mb30.txt

English
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/23/nation/20100223134820&sec=nation