The blaze below: A Fire and Rescue Department helicopter conducting water-bombing operations to help extinguish peatland fires at Jalan Sungai Kapal near Taman Bayu Damai in Pengerang, Johor.
JOHOR BARU: Peatland fires like the one burning in Pengerang since Friday are notoriously difficult to extinguish, as they smoulder underground without visible flames, says a geotechnical expert.
Compounding the challenge, Prof Dr Ahmad Safuan A. Rashid said such fires can continue for long periods even after rainfall.
He said peat fires typically involve low-temperature smouldering that spreads horizontally and vertically within the soil’s organic layer.
“This makes the fire very challenging to detect and control as combustion occurs beneath the surface.”
Prof Ahmad Safuan said preliminary observations indicate that the situation in Pengerang shares key characteristics seen in previous cases.
“When soil moisture drops to critically low levels, the dry organic matter acts as fuel. In some cases, temperatures can reach several hundred degrees Celsius.”
Prof Ahmad Safuan, who is with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Tropical Geoengineering Centre and Geotechnical Research Group, said prolonged dry and hot weather reduces the soil’s water content drastically, exposing peat layers that ignite easily.
He added that human activities, such as drainage for land clearing and construction, further increase vulnerability.
“Poor land management can reduce soil moisture below critical thresholds, making peat highly susceptible to ignition. Land-use changes expose peat layers to air and can trigger persistent underground fires.”
He warned that peatland ecosystems, which take thousands of years to form, are severely damaged by such fires.
“Peat fires destroy critical habitats, disrupt wetland ecosystems and lead to biodiversity loss. Species that cannot adapt to sudden environmental changes face the risk of extinction.”
Prof Ahmad Safuan cautioned that peat fires were a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
“The Pengerang incident highlights future risks, as longer dry spells may increase the frequency and severity of peat fires, creating a feedback loop that accelerates climate change.”
He said effective prevention required water level management through canal or water gate systems to keep peat moist.
“Monitoring systems that track soil temperature and moisture are essential in detecting early signs of underground combustion,” he said, adding that rewetting dried peatland was considered the most effective long-term mitigation strategy.
Meanwhile, about 52% of the peatland fire at Jalan Sungai Kapal near Taman Bayu Damai in Pengerang has been extinguished as firefighting efforts enter the sixth day.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Muhammad Al Mustakim Abdul Hady said more than 51ha of the total affected area of over 99ha has been brought under control so far.
He said the firefighting operation continues to show progress with the deployment of a helicopter to conduct water bombing.
“We have created fire breaks to contain the spread before inundating the area. The site has been divided into nine sectors, with several sectors already extinguished and others close to being put out.
“With the helicopter support, we are confident that we will be able to extinguish the fire in areas that are difficult to access, especially deeper sections where an excavator sank on Tuesday.”
