Channel NewsAsia 27 Feb 19;
SINGAPORE: Another hotspot has been detected in Johor about 50km to the east-northeast of Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (Feb 27).
Smoke from the hotspot, which was detected on Tuesday, was blown southwest by prevailing northeasterly winds, the agency said, adding that it had received feedback from members of the public that day about a burning smell across many areas of Singapore.
In its update, NEA also said that the hotspot detected earlier this week 30km east of Singapore was due to a fire at an oil palm plantation in Johor.
"The Department of Environment (Johor) has since informed us that there was fire at Punggai, near Bandar Penawar, in the area of an oil palm plantation," NEA said, adding that the cause of the fire was the hot weather in parts of Johor.
"The firemen from Bandar Penawar and plantation workers have just managed to put out the fire, after fighting the fire for the past few days. This effort was also helped by the rainfall on 26 Feb 2019, although 20 per cent of the area remains smoky.
"If the fires in Johor continue, some smell and haze may be expected in Singapore," said the agency.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department Director Yahaya Madis told Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday that there were several hotspots in Bandar Penawar due to the clearing of land for palm oil planting.
“We spotted a few hotspots within the 30 ha plantation … All was under control as they were extinguished within two days,” he said, adding that the smoke was unlikely to spread to Singapore.
NEA added that February is normally a dry month in the surrounding region and that extended periods of dry weather can lead to outbreaks of land and vegetation fires.
As at 1pm on Wednesday, the Pollution Standards Index (PSI) across Singapore ranged from 28-51, in the good to moderate range, while the one-hour PM2.5 readings were in the normal range, said NEA.
Additional reporting by Norbakti Alias
Source: CNA/nc(hs)
Haze, burning smell in Singapore expected if Johor fires continue; second hot spot detected: NEA
Choo Yun Ting Straits Times 27 Feb 19;
SINGAPORE - A fire in southern Johor, which was the likely cause of the burning smell reported by Singaporeans earlier this week, has been put out, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (Feb 27).
However, a second hot spot was detected in Johor, about 50km to the east and north-east of Singapore on Tuesday.
The smoke plume from the hot spot was blown south-west by the prevailing north-easterly winds, the environment agency said.
The NEA said in its statement that it received feedback about a burning smell in many parts of Singapore on Tuesday.
Haze and a burning smell may be expected in Singapore if the fires in Johor continue, it added.
On Monday, the NEA said that there was a hot spot in southern Johor, 30km east of Singapore, which was the likely cause of the burning smell that was reported by residents between Sunday evening and Monday morning.
The Department of Environment (Johor) has since informed the NEA that there was a fire at Punggai, near Bandar Penawar, in the vicinity of an oil palm plantation. The fire was due to the hot weather in parts of Johor.
The firemen from Bandar Penawar have managed to put out the fire, after firefighting efforts over the last few days, with the aid of rain on Tuesday, the NEA said.
However, around 20 per cent of the surrounding area remains smoky.
The NEA said that February is normally a dry month for the surrounding region, and extended periods of dry weather can lead to land and vegetation fires.
The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) across Singapore ranged from 31 to 52, in the "good" to "moderate" range, as at 8pm on Wednesday.
The one-hour PM2.5 readings ranged from 7 to 21 micrograms per cubic metre, which is in the "normal" range. PM2.5 is the dominant pollutant during haze episodes.
The NEA said on Wednesday that members of the public can continue with their normal activities.
"We are closely monitoring the air quality and will provide updates on any significant changes to the air quality situation," the agency said.
