KOTA TINGGI: Firefighters from the Punggai Fire and Rescue Station are still working to extinguish a 150-hectare bush fire along the Punggai Bypass Highway heading towards Sebana Cove.
While millions across the country are celebrating Aidilfitri, the orange-clad heroes have spent the festive season amid intense heat and thick plumes of smoke since Saturday (March 21).
"Whether we like it or not, it is our responsibility to ensure public safety,” said Auxiliary Fire Officer Iz’aan Nazmi Suri, 24, who recently got married in January.
Meanwhile, Sandakan-born firefighter Deddy M. Borhan Umaali, 37, said being away from family during festive seasons is part and parcel of his seven years in service.
"There are no holidays. The blaze was reported by the public on March 20, when it had already spread significantly. Although we were supposed to be with our families, we immediately responded to put out the fire,” said the Team C supervisor.
He added that dry weather, strong winds and diminishing water sources at the scene were among the major challenges testing the team’s resilience.
Firefighter Dyeon Pengiran, 31, from Sipitang, Sabah, said his family’s reminders to always stay safe while on duty act as a guiding reminder that keeps him going despite the scorching heat and billowing smoke.
"The feeling of sadness is there, but as firefighters, we must carry on for the sake of the department. We hold on to the motivation to keep serving so that this fire can be extinguished for the safety of the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, a survey found that the fire has also dampened the festive spirit among residents in the surrounding areas due to the lingering smell of smoke from the thick plumes.
A Kampung Punggai resident, Hafizah Bohran, 30, said her family’s open house yesterday was disrupted when thick smoke entered the house, causing her children to start coughing.
"Smoke filled the house, disturbing our guests, and even our sleep has been uncomfortable because of the smell,” she said.
Grocery shop owner Syed Muhammad Halif Syed Abdul Mutalib, 24, said ash from burnt lalang grass has also polluted the surroundings of his home in Teluk Ramunia.
"Fortunately, the fire department acted quickly. The situation has improved on Tuesday (March 24),” he said.
As of 8am on Tuesday, Punggai Fire and Rescue Station operations officer Senior Fire Officer I Alvinni Anak Jackson said 63 hectares, or 42 per cent of the affected area, has been successfully extinguished with assistance from the police and Johor Plantation Foundation.
A check at noon found that firefighting operations along the Punggai Bypass towards Sebana Cove were still ongoing, with smoke gradually subsiding in several areas near Kampung Punggai, Teluk Ramunia and Taman Bayu Damai. – Bernama
