Malaysia: Wildfires raging in northern Sarawak

STEPHEN THEN The Star 18 Mar 15;

MIRI: Wildfires are raging in a forested area the size of at least 100 football fields in the Kuala Baram district in northern Sarawak Wednesday.

The Miri Fire and Rescue Department has initiated aerial water bombing efforts using a helicopter to douse the flames, which span an area approximately 40ha wide.

Sarawak assistant communications minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin visited the site and ordered an integrated approach involving various agencies and private companies to tackle the fire.

He said efforts were being taken to raise the level of the underground water table to prevent the fire from burning into the ground.

Investigations are underway to determine how the fires started, he said.

At least 82 firefighters, volunteers and workers of Naim Cendera, the company that owns the land, are battling the flames, he said.

Helicopter used to put out wildfires
The Star 18 Mar 15;

MIRI: A helicopter is being used to put out wildfires that are raging in forested areas the size of at least 100 football fields combined (40.46ha) in the Kuala Baram district in northern Sarawak.

The Fire and Rescue Department Miri started aerial water bombing using a helicopter to try to douse the flames.

Sarawak Assistant Minister for Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin visited the site of the fires and ordered immediate integrated approach among the various agencies and private companies to tackle the fires.

He said efforts were being taken to pump ground water to raise the underground water table to prevent the fires from burning into the ground in peat-forest areas.

“Investigations are underway to determine how the fires started,” he said.

At least 82 fire fighters and volunteers, and workers of Naim Cendera, the company that owned the land, are battling to stop the fire from spreading, he added.

Water bombing not stopping Sarawak's forest fires
STEPHEN THEN The Star 19 Mar 15;

MIRI: Two days of intensive water bombing have not help to stop forest fires that are raging out of control in the Kuala Baram district in northern Sarawak.

And there are more bad news - the helicopter carrying out the water bombing had to halt its operations after the equipment broke down due to the extra-heavy workload.

The helicopter performed over 40 sorties on Thursday.

Sarawak Assistant Minister for Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin told The Star the forest fires have brought smog and ashes to densely-populated residential estates all the way to Miri City.

The air pollution is causing health hazards to thousands of people living along the 30km-length from Miri City to Kuala Baram, he said.

"The Fire Department today carried out 20 sorties of water bombing but still the fires raged on.

"After two days of intensive water bombing, the helicopter's water-bucket is facing technical problems. It has to be flown back to base to repair," Lee, who is Senadin assemblyman, said.

Lee said the authorities must investigate thoroughly how the fires started and if there are people purposely setting fires to clear the land.