KOTA TINGGI: Efforts to contain a secondary forest fire behind the Pengerang People’s Housing Project (PPR), which began on Tuesday afternoon (March 24), are still ongoing.
Punggai Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Senior Fire Officer II Ezam Mistorrerrodin said 120ha of the area had been brought under control as of 1pm on Wednesday (March 25), while another 30ha were still burning.
“Hot and dry weather, coupled with strong winds, has caused the fire to spread quickly to surrounding areas, including nearby residential areas,” he said in a statement.
He said the fire is still burning dry trees and bushes, producing thick, towering smoke and reducing visibility along the Punggai Bypass highway towards Sebana Cove.
The situation has forced the police and the Bayu Damai police station to close the route to motorists due to poor visibility.
“We are using two main methods – direct attack and total flooding – at different locations, in addition to creating firebreaks to prevent further spread,” Ezam said.
The operation involved 42 firefighters from the Punggai, Sungai Rengit and Sebana Cove fire and rescue stations, the Johor Bomba headquarters and the Zone 3 Drone Unit.
They are assisted by personnel from the Johor Civil Defence Force, Pengerang Municipal Council, South-East Johor Development Authority (Kejora) and state assembly representatives.
Ezam said 27 firefighters are deployed along the highway, using a 1,200ft hose reel and high-powered water pumps for direct suppression.
“Two fixed monitors have been placed behind the PPR Pengerang, using the flooding method with nearby water sources,” he said.
He added that Yayasan Perladangan Johor (YPJ) is supporting the operation with excavators and trucks to build firebreaks along plantation boundaries.
“We expect operations to continue until the fire is fully extinguished, and the public is advised to avoid the affected areas for their safety,” Ezam said.
