Firemen a the site of the blaze in Pengkalan Chepa. - Photo: Bernama
KOTA BARU: The fire-fighting operation at a recycling collection site on Jalan Padang Tembak in the Pengkalan Chepa Industrial Area is expected to be completed in three days, says the Fire and Rescue Department.
Kota Baru Fire and Rescue station operations commander Zukeri Shafei said the incident had been challenging to control due to the nature of the recycled materials, which were entirely combustible, including rubber, plastic, and cloth, making efforts to douse the blaze difficult.
He stated that the primary challenge was extinguishing the flames at the bottom of the pile of recyclables, which stood between 3m to 4m high.
"Our strategy on Monday (Oct 28) was to put out the fire within the pile of recyclables, as we managed to control the fire in the surrounding area yesterday, preventing it from spreading to nearby factories," he told reporters at the scene on Monday (Oct 28).
A Bernama survey at the scene on Monday (Oct 28) found that the fire-fighting operation was ongoing.
There was a thick plume of white smoke as the fire involved solid waste materials, including rubber, PVC, and recycled plastics. – Bernama
