SHAH ALAM: An early morning fire at the Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park saw a multipurpose warehouse badly damaged, with thick black smoke visible from some 10 kilometres away.
The 4.30am incident destroyed at least 60 per cent of the warehouse, which was used to store paint and tyres, among others.
As of 2pm, some 50 firemen from Selangor and Kuala Lumpur stations dispatched to the scene were still working to put out the blaze.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman said the fire was noticed by a security guard who alerted the authorities at 4.41am.
He said 56 firemen with eight fire engines and water tankers, including two from the Kuala Lumpur FRD, rushed to battle the blaze, which was already raging when the first team arrived at 4.56am.
"When firemen arrived, they saw very thick smoke which signified that the fire had been spreading for quite some time.
"Within an hour, they managed to control the fire from spreading to another warehouse, which stores industrial chemicals.
"It is important to make sure that the blaze does not spread there as the chemicals there are hazardous. InshaAllah, from the current status of this operation, we are confident that the blaze is under control and contained," he said.
He said the warehouse had Class 8 (corrosive) chemicals stored.
Azmi also advised the public and factory operators in the area not to panick, as the firemen had laid out a strategy to prevent the blaze from spreading, and the fact that the warehouse is situated far away from other buildings.
He said the thick smoke emitted from the fire was caused by paint and vehicles tyres.
The thick smoke had sparked concerns among members of the public, especially since pictures and video clips of the incident went viral on social media this morning.
Subang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Azlin Sadari had also issued a media statement, saying that authorities have confirmed that the smoke did not contain hazardous materials.