KOTA TINGGI: The Fire and Rescue Department air unit will deploy an MI-17 helicopter to conduct a water-bombing operation to extinguish the fire on Jalan Bypass Punggai-Sebana Cove here.
In a statement, the department said this would be carried out after a similar water bombing operation to extinguish a fire near the Pengerang People's Housing Project (PPR).
It said its operation is still continuing in section G by 'direct attack' and 'total flooding' using water tankers to control the spread of the fire.
Excavators would continue creating fire breaks in the section concerned with efforts also covering water sources from a Yayasan Perladangan Johor pond.
"90% or 135ha of the 150ha of area on Jalan Bypass Punggai-Sebana Cove, here, have been successfully extinguished as of 9am," he said on Friday (March 27).
For the fire near Pengerang PPR, 55% or 5.5ha of the 10ha area were extinguished using the 'direct attack' and 'total flooding' methods in sections E, F and C, with water from nearby fire hydrants.
However, the fire spread back to section C due to strong winds and the same helicopter will carry out water bombing operations in sections E and G.
"Meanwhile, excavators will continue to create fire breaks in sections F and G to extinguish fires in the remaining 4.5ha," he said.
Earlier, the fire at both locations started on March 21 involving about 150ha on Jalan Bypass Punggai-Sebana Cove, while the fire at the Pengerang PPR has been going on since March 24 in a 10ha area. – Bernama
