KANGAR: Thirteen houses and two shoplots burned to the ground in a massive early morning blaze at Kampung Tok Pi in Kuala Perlis here today.
The 2am fire also destroyed a boat at the fishermen’s settlement.
However, no casualty was reported.
A tenant of one of the destroyed shophouses said he was informed of the fire by his uncle.
Muhammad Faizol Abdullah, 29, said he rented the premises as a sundry shop, and was not at the scene when the fire broke out.
"I rushed to the shop after receiving the news and could only save a few items, while the rest went up in flames.
"The estimated losses are about RM9,000, including a freezer," he said when met.
Perlis Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Fadzil Haron said a team of 40 firefighters was deployed to the scene after receiving a distress call at 2.37am.
He said the fire had already spread to most of the houses when the team arrived, and it took them about an hour to bring the fire under control.
"The fire spread rapidly, completely destroying all 15 premises which were located next to each other.
"Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and the estimated losses," Fadzil added.
It is learnt that the houses were rented by Thai fishermen, who dashed in to save their fishing boats when the fire broke out.