GEORGETOWN: A woman in her 40s, narrowly escaped injury after rushing into her burning house to save her pet dog.
The fire broke out at Hong Seng Farm in Mount Erskine at around 6pm yesterday, destroying seven homes.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, had just returned from work, and was alerted by her brother that the dog was still inside the house.
"I expected the dog to be at the front of the house when I decided to go in," she said. "Luckily, it was still alive, and neither of us was injured."
In a separate account, Steven Morgan, 50, said he heard a loud explosion before his 16-year-old son spotted smoke coming from their home. The family quickly evacuated, leaving behind important documents.
"We didn't have time to grab anything, not even our IDs," Morgan said. "We were just focused on getting out safely."
Morgan's house was completely destroyed, though he was thankful his family and neighbours were unharmed.
He said he suspected the fire began in a neighbouring house that stored and repaired electrical equipment.
"About four years ago, a similar fire caused part of our house to burn," Morgan said. "This time, everything is gone. I have no idea where to stay now."
Local authorities are reportedly working to provide temporary housing for the victims.
Earlier it was reported that seven homes were completely destroyed.