Malaysia: Wildfires encroach on Miri Golf Club as Similajau National Park continues to burn

stephen then The Star 1 Apr 19;

MIRI: The grounds of the Miri Golf Club near here have been hit by wildfires.

The Miri Fire and Rescue Department received a call for help at about 11.30am Monday (April 1) to douse wildfires burning trees and bushes on the golf course's grounds.

Miri Fire Chief Supt Law Poh Kiong said his firefighters were at the site, using mechanical pumps to draw water from the nearby Miri River to douse the flames.

Meanwhile, forest fires are spreading in the Similajau National Park as dry weather continues.

"This is the fourth day of operations tackling forest fires in Similajau," it said.

On Sunday (March 31), aerial water bombing was carried out by the Department's air wing from Miri but the fires persisted.

Similajau National Park is located at the boundary of the Bintulu and Miri districts.

Supt Law said the forest fires were detected in the national park on March 29.

He said initial probes showed there had been open burning conducted at the fringes of the park.

Firefighters on the ground decided to call for aerial water-bombing to prevent the fires from getting worse.

Fire at national park put under control
ERIKA GEORGE New Straits Times 3 Apr 19;

BINTULU: A fire that broke out at the Similajau National Park, here, has been put under control using aerial spray techniques.

Up to 2.15 pm, yesterday, 90 per cent of the fire was put out, involving a total of 60,000 liters of water, said Bintulu Fire and Rescue Department chief Mohamad Meramit.

According to him, efforts to contain the fire in the 2.42 hectares area, were made difficult by the hot and dry weather.

"The affected area consists of peat soil. Although on the surface, it appears that the fire has been put out, it is still burning underneath.

"We also discovered there was a fire in the second area involving 0.80 hectares land, of which 70 per cent has been contained," he said when contacted by NSTP, here, today.

A total of 32 officers and firefighters from Bintulu, Tatau and Samalaju stations, were deployed to the scene since Friday.

It is learned the firemen sprayed water from a prime mover tanker over a distance of 457 metres into the affected area.