KOTA KINABALU: A noon fire destroyed scores of wooden electrical cable reels kept at a Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd storage facility in Manggatal, about 12km from the city.

       A Sabah Fire and Rescue Department operations centre spokesman said they were continuing to put out the fire as huge plumes of black smoke from most areas around the city.

       He said they received a distress call at 12.56pm, Thursday (April 4) and firemen from the Kota Kinabalu and Penampang stations were to the scene in effort to put out the fire and stop it from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

       The fire involved mainly wooden electrical cable reels owned by SESB placed on a 0.4ha area, the spokesman said.

       In an immediate statement, SESB said that the cause of the fire was still under investigation by the relevant authorities and would make an appropriate statement when further information was available.

       It could not be immediately ascertained how many electrical cable reels were destroyed in the fire that continued to burn as of 5pm on Thursday, though firemen had brought it under control.