40ha of forest in Grik on fire

IPOH: Some 40ha of forest in four locations in Grik, about 200km from here, are on fire.

The Fire and Rescue Department will send in aircraft to carry out a water bombing exercise tomorrow.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Yahaya Madis, who described the fires as the most serious in Grik so far, said the fires at the forest reserve and nearby Gunung Tujuh were detected on Tuesday.

He added that another fire was also detected at Air Ganda on Wednesday.

“A lot of work has to be done to douse the fires although they are under control now. We will next concentrate on Air Ganda.

“It is the biggest fire we have encountered in Grik so far,” he said, adding that about 100 personnel from the Civil Defence, Forestry, Wildlife and National Parks, District Office and the Fire departments would be deployed to Air Ganda to put out the fire there.

Yesterday evening, firemen were seen combing Pulau Banding to put out residual burning while efforts were ongoing at Gunung Tujuh to put out one last hotspot there, he added.

Yahaya said firemen were also deployed to an area of the East-West Highway from Grik to Jeli, Kelantan, which was on fire early this week.

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