Haniff Khatri and family escape unhurt as pre-dawn blaze damages three homes in Gombak (VIDEO)

GOMBAK, Sept 15 — Three double-storey linked houses, including the home of prominent lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla in Bandar Country Homes here, were damaged in a pre-dawn fire on Tuesday.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Assistant Director of Operations Ashrul Riezal Asbar said the department received an emergency distress call regarding the blaze at 3.06am, Sinar Harian reported.

“A total of 15 firefighters and officers from the Rawang Fire and Rescue Station (BBP), assisted by the Batu Arang Fire and Rescue Station, together with fire engines, were deployed to the scene, which is located about eight kilometres away,” he said today.

Upon arriving at 3.17am, fire crews discovered that the blaze had engulfed the upper levels of the three adjoining properties.

“The estimated damage caused by the fire was 80 per cent to the first house, 20 per cent to the second house, and five per cent to the third house,” he said.

The fire also destroyed about 90 per cent of a Perodua Axia parked nearby.

“No casualties were reported in the incident. The fire was brought under control at 4.08am before operations were fully concluded at 6.35am,” he said.

Recounting the incident, Mohamed Haniff said the fire is believed to have originated in the first-floor living area, although the exact cause remains under investigation.

“My wife, our two children and I were at home when the incident occurred. I was downstairs watching television and slept downstairs that night, while my two children were upstairs.

“My daughter came out of her room to get a drink of water when she noticed the fire and screamed for me,” he said.

Haniff said that upon hearing her shouts, he rushed upstairs and attempted to combat the flames with buckets of water, but was quickly overwhelmed by the thick smoke.

“The heat and smoke had already entered my chest, so I immediately woke my son and told him to get out of the house before calling the fire department,” he said.

The lawyer credited the prompt arrival and professionalism of the firefighters for preventing serious injury to his family.

“I was truly moved by the firefighters’ efforts. They were excellent and highly efficient.

“Thank God, all four of us are physically safe, but the upper floor of the house is completely gone. Everything up there has been destroyed,” he said.