Firefighters putting out the fire at the Batu Lanchang Chinese cemetery on Friday.
GEORGE TOWN: Firefighters are at the Batu Lanchang Chinese cemetery in Lorong Batu Lanchang here battling a bush fire for more than three hours.
State Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Azman Husin said the department received a distress call at 11.36am Friday and firefighters from Jalan Perak and voluntary fire fighting squads from Perak Lane and Paya Terubong went to the scene.
"We arrived 12 minutes later and started to put out the fire.
"About one acre (0.4ha) of the cemetery ground is on fire. Our men are still trying to put out the fire," he said.
The cause of the fire was still not known.
SK Batu Lanchang parent-teacher association chairman P.D. Saravanan said smoke from the bush fire enveloped the area, including the school which is located in front of the cemetery.
"It is smoky and the air is very bad. Thank goodness that it is Friday and the school ended early," he said when contacted.
