KOTA BELUD: A fire destroyed two houses at Kampung Pirasaan here today, leaving 24 people homeless.
Khairul Dullah, 17, was among 15 people living in one of the houses that caught fire at noon.
He was at the veranda at the time, while some of his family members were on the ground floor and upper floor of the house.
"The weather was hot and none of us realised when a bedroom had caught fire.
"We only discovered about the fire after hearing several parts of the house's wooden structure fell apart, with thick smoke covering the upper floor," he said.
Khairul said the situation turned chaotic when the whole house was engulfed in smoke. He said all of his family members, including a baby, escaped unhurt.
The blaze also spread to a neighbouring house occupied by nine people, who also escaped unhurt.
Khairul said the villagers tried to put out the fire with water, but strong winds made the efforts difficult.
District fire and rescue chief Muhammad Syazwan Latun said eight personnel deployed to the scene after receiving a distress call at 12.13pm.
The houses were completely burnt down when the team arrived.
"No injuries were reported. The operation ended at 2.44pm," said Muhammad.
