A late‑night fire has wiped out one of Limbang’s oldest landmarks—a long‑disused Public Works Department (JKR) quarters—leaving only charred beams where a slice of local history once stood.
Shortly after 9:00 pm yesterday (Tuesday, 2 July 2025), the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Zone Seven Limbang received an emergency call reporting thick smoke near Mile 1, Jalan Kubong. Station chief Ramlan Marajan immediately dispatched two fire engines and a rapid‑response crew. With the scene barely a kilometre from the station, firefighters arrived in minutes to find the wooden structure engulfed in towering flames.
“The quarters were already fully involved when our team got there,” Ramlan said, adding that the abandoned building’s age and timber construction gave the fire “plenty of fuel and plenty of air.” Because the nearest occupied homes sit just metres away, crews adopted a defensive strategy—surrounding the blaze, dousing flying embers, and preventing collapse debris from igniting neighbouring properties.
Firefighters battled intense heat for nearly 40 minutes before declaring the flames under control. They then combed the smouldering ruins to ensure no hidden hotspots remained. Luckily, no injuries or fatalities were recorded; the building has stood empty for more than a decade after JKR staff quarters moved to a newer site.
While inspections continue today, investigators face several challenges. Years of disuse mean the quarters had no active wiring or utilities, making an electrical fault unlikely. Vandalism and unofficial entry points complicate the search for clues, raising questions about possible human involvement. Officers from the Fire Investigation Unit will collect char patterns, interview nearby residents, and analyse CCTV footage from surrounding shops in the coming days.
For long‑time Limbang folk, the loss is bittersweet. Older residents recall the quarters as a bustling hub for civil servants in the 1970s and 80s, its verandas once echoing with family chatter. Now, only blackened stumps remain—a stark reminder of how quickly a forgotten wooden relic can vanish in Sarawak’s dry season.
JBPM urges the public to report suspicious activity around abandoned buildings and to keep surrounding grass trimmed, reducing fire fuel. Limbang District Council is likewise reviewing vacant‑structure safety guidelines, aiming to safeguard other heritage sites from a similar fate.
This story will be updated when investigators release their official findings.
