Major Fire Damages SESB Warehouse
A massive SESB warehouse fire in Malaysia caused severe losses after flames tore through stored electrical cables on April 4. The blaze, which burned for several days, devastated both the warehouse and outdoor cable reels at Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd’s (SESB) facility.
Photos published by the Daily Express showed hundreds of large cable reels engulfed in flames. Local fire authorities confirmed that 3 of the site’s 3.7 acres sustained direct damage. Learn more about SESB’s operations at https://www.sesb.com.my.
Fire Losses Exceed $8 Million
The destruction included more than 1,000 drums of cables, among them 70 newly arrived reels meant for statewide distribution. Early estimates put total losses above $8 million, forcing SESB to reallocate funds and reorder essential power materials.
Officials expect the recovery process to take considerable time and cost due to the widespread damage and supply disruption.
Impact on Sabah’s Cable Replacement Program
SESB said the destroyed cables included eight different types, mostly coated cables that were intended to replace older bare conductor lines. The company currently operates around 5,000 km of uncoated cables across the state but can only replace about 300 km per year with its existing production capacity.
Without a broad cable replacement initiative, SESB estimates it could take over 20 years to replace all uncoated lines. The fire intensifies ongoing challenges in modernizing the grid, which already faces supply chain and resource constraints.
Recovery and Rebuilding Plans
The company has not yet reeased a detailed recovery timeline. However, SESB is focusing on resupplying critical materials and restoring essential infrastructure to minimize disruptions in power delivery across Sabah.
Authorities continue to assess the cause of the fire and develop measures to prevent future incidents of this scale.