Malaysia: A week on, firemen still battling peat fire in Pengerang

venesa devi The Star 28 Feb 19;

PENGERANG: Scores of firemen are still battling to put out a peat fire near Jalan Penawar here since last week.

Bandar Penawar Fire and Rescue station chief Mohd Fadli Ismail said the fire was believed to have started on Thursday (Feb 21) at 8.47am.

"The total area of the field is about 400ha but we have managed to stop the fire from spreading to the whole area.

"About 10% of the fire has been put out while more than half of the field has been rescued from the spread of the fire," he said.

He added that about 11 firemen had been dispatched to the location every day for the past six days to fight the fire and preventing it from spreading.

Meanwhile, another fire was reported raging across some 4ha of a field in Air Papan, Mersing.

Mersing Fire and Rescue Station chief Soleh Nasir said the fire started at 8.17am on Monday (Feb 25).

"Five department personnel as well as four Civil Defense Force Malaysia (APM) officers have been dispatched to the scene every day since the fire broke out on Monday.

"We have managed to put out more than half of the fire and are still attempting to stop its spread," he said.

Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Yahaya Madis said that more than 1,000 open burning incidents involving 824.83ha of land have been reported throughout the state in the first two months of 2019.

"More than half of the fires involve bushes, with forest and orchard fires constituting about 20% of the total fires reported state-wide.

"Meanwhile, the district with the highest number of open fire cases reported is Johor Baru, followed by Muar and Kluang," he said when contacted here on Thursday (Feb 28).

He also said the heat wave plaguing the nation has contributed to fire in the state and advised the public to refrain from any open burning activity.