On the frontlines: Firefighters working tirelessly to contain a forest fire in Gebeng, Pahang, amid challenging dry conditions.
JOHOR BARU: There are more than 600 hotspots across the country and the current dry spell has already ignited some of these areas, with firemen having their hands full battling peat soil fires burning underground, according to data from the Fire and Rescue Department.
Its director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said major forest fires had engulfed a total area of 284ha in Gebeng in Kuantan, Putrajaya and Muadzam Shah in Rompin, although fires in Muadzam Shah had already been put out by Thursday.
He said while more than half of the fires had been doused, firemen were still facing a battle against peat soil fires.
Nor Hisham.
“The biggest challenge faced by my men during this dry season is fires deep in the forest, with no proper access or water source to extinguish it,” he told The Star.
Nor Hisham said department helicopters were monitoring hotspots and carrying out water bombing where fires are present.
The majority of the fires reported are bush and weed fires (63%), followed by forest fires (22%), farm and garden fires (8%) and fires at landfills (7%).
He said in the first four months of the year, more than 1,150 forest fires were reported nationwide with Sabah topping the list at 598 cases, followed by Kedah (157) and Selangor (122).
Open burning has affected over 5,000ha in 86 districts nationwide since the beginning of the year, said Nor Hisham in reply to a question on open burning.
“Most of the fires have been put out. Since the start of the year, firefighters have been actively working to extinguish over 100 fires daily,” he said.
The DG reminded smokers to not throw away cigarette butts indiscriminately, and warned others against open burning.
On the department’s Hari Raya operations, Nor Hisham said personnel were on standby at 13 accident-prone zones in eight states.
“To ensure enough manpower, we approved leave for only 30% of our staff during the festive period,” he said, adding that besides its vehicles, the department was also providing air ambulance services with its nine helicopters.
Nor Hisham also advised parents to monitor their children when they played with fireworks.
“Over the past three years, at least 44 fires had occurred as a result of fireworks,” he said, adding that there were 22 such fires nationwide last year.
