PENGERANG: Firefighters are battling a forest blaze that has spread across 29ha along the Punggai-Sebana Cove bypass highway here.
The Johor Fire and Rescue Department said it received a distress call at 11.25am yesterday, with firefighters from the Sebana Cove and Punggai stations dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, firefighters found that the blaze had spread across an area with tall grass.
The department said its personnel immediately began efforts to contain and extinguish the fire using hoses connected to fire engines.
Firefighters from the Sebana Cove station used a long hose with two nozzles, while the Punggai team deployed another hose with two nozzles.
The operation remained ongoing as of the latest update, with no casualties reported. The department will also deploy additional firefighters to the area to strengthen efforts to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading.
A total of 12 firefighters and two fire engines were initially involved in the operation, which was led by operation chief Noor Ikhson Shukor.
It was learned that the latest fire is not the first major blaze to hit the area, which has experienced several vegetation and forest fires in recent years.
In March, firefighters spent several days battling a massive bush fire along the same highway heading towards Sebana Cove, with the blaze eventually affecting about 150ha. The fire spread rapidly amid hot and dry weather and strong winds, with more than 30 firefighters from several stations involved in efforts to contain it.
The area was also hit by a forest fire in October 2023, when a blaze involving about 32ha of secondary forest along the Sebana Cove-Punggai bypass entered its third day.
The recurring fires at the bypass highlight the challenges faced by firefighters in tackling vegetation fires in the area, mainly during hot and dry conditions.
The cause of yesterday’s fire has yet to be determined.
