Wildfires raze 20 acres of land in Lawas

MIRI: Forest fires woes are spreading in northern Sarawak.

At Miri and Kuala Baram districts, incidents of wildfire are now being experienced in Lawas district, too, in northernmost Sarawak.

Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said at least 20 acres of land (the size of 20 football fields) have been razed by wildfires in the Sundar sub-district within the Lawas district.

"The fires were near Kg Aru Sundar, which is 36km away from the nearest Bomba station," Sarawak Bomba said in its latest updates on Sunday (March 10).

Lawas district is located adjacent to the Sarawak-Sabah border.

On Friday (March 8) and Saturday (March 9), Miri firefighters battled to put out similar wildfires near the Tudan 5 squatter resettlement area located about 20km from the city, and also another one at Marina Bay in Miri city.

Miri fire chief Supt Law Poh Kiong said firemen with long hoses and mechanical pumps managed to contain the fires.

How these wildfires started cannot be ascertained as yet.