KUCHING: More than 200 indigenous residents have been displaced following a devastating fire that completely destroyed a longhouse in the early hours of today, marking the second major longhouse blaze in rural Sarawak in less than a fortnight.
The predawn inferno engulfed Rumah Liun, a double-storey structure located in the remote interior of Kapit district in central Sarawak, according to a statement from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department.
The incident came to authorities’ attention only after the longhouse headman made an hours-long boat journey to Kapit town to file a report at the Kapit fire station at 10am this morning.
According to the department’s media update, the longhouse’s isolated location in remote terrain meant residents had no mobile phone connectivity to summon emergency assistance when the fire erupted.
“The longhouse chief reported that residents were unable to call for outside help when the fire broke out due to the absence of phone connection in the remote area,“ the department stated.
The fire broke out at approximately 2.30am in the double-storey longhouse, which housed 29 family units constructed in the traditional adjoining style typical of indigenous longhouse architecture.
While all residents managed to evacuate safely, the entire structure suffered complete destruction, with the department confirming 100 percent loss of the building.
A team from the Kapit Fire and Rescue station, accompanied by personnel from the Kapit District office, traveled to the site this morning to assess the situation and address the immediate needs of the displaced families.
This incident follows a strikingly similar tragedy on September 28, when approximately 200 indigenous residents were left homeless after another longhouse fire in the neighbouring Song district.
In that earlier incident, Rumah Sipan was completely razed to the ground in a 4.30am blaze. The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department noted that Rumah Sipan also comprised 29 family homes built in the adjoining double-storey longhouse configuration.
The proximity of these two incidents—both in timing and geographic location, with Song district adjacent to Kapit—raises concerns about fire safety in remote longhouse communities throughout rural Sarawak.
The repeated incidents highlight the unique challenges faced by longhouse communities in Sarawak’s interior regions. Many settlements are located in areas with limited or no telecommunications infrastructure, making it difficult to summon emergency services promptly.
The traditional longhouse construction method, where multiple family units share common walls in an extended structure, means that fires can spread rapidly through the entire building before external help can arrive.
Access to these remote locations often requires river transport, adding significant time delays between when incidents occur and when emergency responders can reach the scene.
Kapit district is situated in central Sarawak’s interior, accessible primarily by river routes. The district serves as a gateway to Sarawak’s remote upriver regions, where many indigenous communities maintain traditional longhouse settlements.
Song district, where the previous fire occurred, lies adjacent to Kapit and faces similar geographic and infrastructural challenges.
Both districts are home to various indigenous ethnic groups who maintain the longhouse lifestyle as part of their cultural heritage, with extended family networks living in communal structures that can house dozens or even hundreds of residents.