More open burning cases expected

The Fire and Rescue Service Department (JPBM) put out fire at the Pulau Burung landfill in Nibong Tebal. ( January 20,2022 ) —ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

PETALING JAYA: In just the first month of 2022, the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) received 1,070 reports of open burning, with more potentially expected amid the hot and dry spell in the country.

Open burning cases nationwide, which declined during the Covid-19 pandemic from 28,907 cases in 2019 to 19,091 in 2020 and down to 16,932 in 2021, are mainly caused by human activities such as the burning of bushes, shrubs and waste, says Bomba.