Malaysia: Dungun firemen fighting peat fires spray water on forest

The Star 15 Feb 14;

DUNGUN: The Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department has resorted to spraying water on forests bordering the peat fires in Kampung Tok Kah here to prevent the blaze from spreading to a populated area about 200 metres away.

"Prior to this we were spraying water directly at the area on fire but the dry weather and frequent change in wind directions caused the blaze to spread to larger areas.

"So far we feel this is the best method to prevent the fires from spreading," operations commander Nor Azizi Che Noh said at the scene of the fire, adding that on the 21st day of the operation Saturday they had put out 371 hectares of forest fires.

He said their efforts were hampered by the easily combustible nature of peat land, lack of water source and access.

"We're still working round the clock to put out another 40 hectares ablaze which has spread to several abandoned oil palm plantations," he said.

He added that 58 firefighters were mobilised from around the state, assisted by 10 members of the Civil Defence Department. - Bernama

Lightning strike sets Gunung Tempurung on fire
The Star 15 Feb 14;

KAMPAR: The foot of Gunung Tempurung at Kampung Sungai Siput Selatan here caught fire due to lightning Friday evening and its racing up to the summit as firemen battle to control it.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department Zone 1 chief Ruhisha Haris said they were alerted at 7.49pm by people who saw the fire from a distance.

"We managed to control the fire today and are preventing it from spreading. We'll create a fire-break if needed to protect the mountain next to it," he said at the scene.

He added that they were hampered by the steep 80 to 90 degrees slope on the mountain.

He said the fire was expected to reach the mountain peak in three to four hours time and aerial surveys by helicopter would be carried out to keep a close eye on the situation. - Bernama