Judith Tan & Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times 29 Jan 09;
BUSH fires have flared up across Singapore, as the island is in the grip of a dry spell with some areas getting little if any rain so far this month.
Firemen put out 146 bush fires so far this year, compared to just 16 last month, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who pointed to the prolonged dry spell as the main cause.
Northern parts of the island around Seletar recorded less than 10mm of rainfall in the first two weeks of this month. According to the National Environment Agency (NEA) website, this is between 95 and 100 per cent below the long term average of 244mm.
It is slightly wetter towards the east around Changi, but rainfall patterns are out of the ordinary for this time of the year, when it is common to get frequent afternoon showers and heavy rain lasting up to three days at a stretch.
Although the water level at the MacRitchie Reservoir yesterday was a little lower than its peak, for now the national water agency PUB said that it was normal and is not a cause for concern.
Firemen, however, will be on the alert for more bush fires like the one spotted on Sunday by Straits Times reader Mr Rajamanickam J., 59, a logistics coordinator. He was driving home just before midnight along Sungei Tengah Road when he saw the blaze.
He said: 'It looked quite big, and we were worried because we didn't want the fire to spread or anyone to get injured.'
His brother called SCDF and firefighters put out the blaze in 20min. No one was injured in the fire that razed a patch of grassland the size of a basketball court.
The SCDF has advised extra caution when disposing of cigarettes or lit matches.
Unwanted items should not be dumped in open fields or grassland as they add more fuel to bush fires.
