PETALING JAYA: Dry spells, declining rainfall and rising temperatures are increasing the risk of land fires, with nearly 3,000 cases recorded since the onset of El Nino conditions.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department, 2,713 cases have been reported since May, comprising 2,699 non-peatland fires and 14 peatland fires.
“While the number is relatively low compared with the same period last year, we expect cases to rise from late 2026 into early next year,” said its director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad in an interview.
He attributed the department’s caution to factors including the developing “Super El Nino” phenomenon, reduced rainfall and extreme temperatures.
“Forecasts by both the Malaysian Meteorological Department and relevant international bodies indicate that El Nino is expected to reach stronger conditions by year-end and into early next year.
“At the same time, the country’s transition towards drier conditions early next year is projected to bring prolonged dry spells and a significant reduction in rainfall, which could severely dry out brushland, forests and peatlands.”
Nor Hisham said El Nino conditions could also raise ambient temperatures and lower humidity levels.
“This can cause agricultural waste, dry grass and peat layers to become highly flammable and susceptible to rapid ignition from minimal heat sources or illegal open burning,” he said.
Peatland fires are particularly challenging during prolonged droughts, he said, as deep underground peat layers can dry out and continue to smoulder, he added.
To manage the risk of open burning and fires during the El Nino and dry seasons, Nor Hisham said the department had deployed additional rapid-response assets and upgraded its fleet.
He said 200 light operational utility vehicles had been deployed to improve mobility, allowing personnel to access difficult terrain, survey fire sites, open access routes and extinguish small fires before they spread.
Another 120 portable and high-capacity fire pumps had also been secured and distributed nationwide, he said.
Nor Hisham said the department was taking a coordinated inter-agency approach, with its Haze and Open Burning Operations Room on high alert and localised operations coordinated from a centralised hub.
He added that 26 aerial drones had been mobilised to identify remote fire hotspots and assess wind-driven smoke patterns.
“The intake of new helicopters to assist water-bombing operations for large-scale forest fires is also scheduled,” said Nor Hisham, adding that 183 high-risk hotspot locations nationwide had been mapped.
“The operational readiness of essential firefighting infrastructure, including underground tube wells, water check dams and observation towers, has also been verified.”
