NIBONG TEBAL: A fire broke out at the Pulau Burung landfill on Sunday night (Feb 8).
The blaze spread across about 0.09ha of the state landfill.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (firefighting and rescue operations) John Sagun Francis said a team of firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call at 8.13pm.
“When the firemen arrived at the scene nine minutes later, the fire was already raging through the solid waste at the landfill,” he said in a statement.
John said the fire occurred in Phase 3, which measures about 12.95ha in total, of which 0.093ha (0.72%) was affected.
He said the operations commander conducted a size-up and instructed the firefighters to apply the RECEO (Rescue, Exposures, Confinement, Extinguishment and Overhaul) strategy to carry out control and firefighting operations.
“The firemen carried out debris-clearing works involving solid waste with the assistance of two excavators to facilitate firefighting operations using a direct attack approach and to establish fire breaks to prevent the spread of the fire,” he said.
He said the fire was successfully extinguished at 10.29pm, and overhaul operations continued to ensure it was fully put out.
After confirming there were no further hazards at the scene, the operation was concluded at 5.51am.
The operation was carried out by firemen from the Nibong Tebal fire station, with assistance from personnel from the Sungai Bakap, Penanti, and Bayan Baru fire stations.
Volunteer firefighters and the Seberang Perai City Council also assisted in the operation.
Meanwhile, the state local government committee chairman, Jason H’ng, said the fire has been fully extinguished and that overhaul and closure work will be carried out this morning.
He said a total of 21 city council personnel and six contractor personnel were involved in the firefighting operation.
He added that three city council tankers from the crisis management unit in Central and South Seberang Perai were deployed to assist the firemen.
