Firefighters battle blaze around Bukit Gasing jungle

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefighters battled blazes in and around the Bukit Gasing jungle in a tiring five-hour operation.

City Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Azizan Ismail said the fire, believed to have been caused by dry weather, engulfed about a 3000sqm area of jungle near the Lembah Pantai Community Centre, Jalan Pantai Permai and Taman Bukit Angkasa.

Around 14 Fire and Rescue Department personnel and four firetrucks were dispatched at 10.19am Wednesday.

[A firefighter checking the burnt site 

“The fire began at the foot of the hill and slowly razed everything uphill. Officers were forced to use ropes to haul the hoses and other equipment up to put out the fires.

“With their bravery and dedication, we successfully put out the fires at 3.30pm. An aerial check on the area confirmed that the fire had been extinguished,” he said.

The Department of Environment (DOE) said 4,385 open burning cases were recorded involving forests, agricultural areas, industry, construction, landfills and bushland last week, as the dry season is expected to continue until August.

The number of hotspots detected via images by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-18 satellite rose to 50 last weekend.

Taiping and Tanjung Malim recorded unhealthy Air Polutant Index (API) readings yesterday, while 33 areas around the country recorded moderate levels of air quality.