The Star 2 May 16;
DUNGUN: Firemen here are still busy trying to extinguish the peat fires in Dungun and Setiu.
The state Fire and Rescue Department public relations office Rozizah Abni Hajar said fire fighters were still doing their best to put out the peat fires at Pengkalan Jering in Dungun and Bukit Layat forest in Setiu.
The fires were detected last Wednesday and a total of 7ha was on fire in Dungun, but half of the fire has been extinguished, he said.
“In Setiu, efforts to put out the fire on an hectare of forest are still ongoing.
“We expect to fully extinguish the fire today (yesterday),” he said.
The fire in Dungun is expected to take three more days to put out – depending on the weather and water sources.
Previously, some 200ha of forest and vegetation in the state were destroyed due to fires in the first four months of this year due to El Nino.
During that time, the department received more than 900 calls on open burning.
He reminded the public not to carry out open burning, including for agricultural purposes or clearing rubbish during this dry season. – Bernama
Terengganu firemen battle forest and peat fires caused by El Nino
ADRIAN DAVID New Straits Times 1 May 16;
SETIU: Firemen in Terengganu have been kept busy dousing forest and peat fires, no thanks to the current extreme hot and dry spell.
Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Rozizah Abni Hajar said that about 11 hectares of forests in Pengkalan Jering in Dungun and Bukit Layat in Setiu were consumed in flames.
“We expect to control the blaze in Setiu affecting 4ha in a day, while it may take up to three days to do so at the 7ha forest in Dungun owing to the severity of the fire over there,” said Rozizah.
She added that about 200ha of forest were destroyed in the state for the first four months this year following the El Nino phenomena.
Rozizah said during that period, the department received 900 emergency calls for forest fires. “The extreme hot and dry spell puts plantations, bushes and forests at high risk of fires.
As such, people have been advised not to carry out open burnings,” she said.
Meanwhile, firemen were also seen busy putting out peat fires in Manir, Kuala Terengganu.
