Big Fire in Kajang Town, 7 shophouses burn to the ground in the 60's

I remember one evening, pitch dark, there was a power cut at our house in Kajang Garden (Desa Bunga Raya). Everyone came out of their house and look up towards the sky, it was red with color and it was filled with smoke. Everyone was wandering what was happening, then came shouts that the town was on fire. Those days there weren't hand phones available and fixed line phones was only available to the rich. My mother was worried because our great grand father's shop was in town, she hurriedly took the bicycle and I sat on the back (common mode of transport in those days). It took her 15 minutes to reach the shop and what a sigh of relief when she saw the shop house intact. It was the opposite row of shop houses that was on fire, people were running here and there and fire engines with their siren howling were approaching. We just stood there like anyone else the fire was burning intensely and I could feel the heat radiating from the fire. People were shouting, and there were still people trapped in the building and some people tried to rush into the burning shop house but were held back by others. It was a tragic sight, the sound of fire crackers, fireworks were shooting dangerously close to other shop houses and shop dwellers were getting worried. Most of the shop houses were made of wood and were considered fire hazards. People were shouting to the firemen "over here the fire is spreading!!!". The fire was brought under control and all in all 7 shop houses was razed to the ground with hot smothering burning wood. They said 3 burn bodies was found the next morning.

How many of you remember that fateful day, many of you may have not been born, you probably could ask around for more details. If you found more stories, post your stories so that many others will read about the history of Kajang.