SRI AMAN: Raging bush fire at Kampung STC here has affected about 400 acres of forested land including in nearby Klauh.
State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said the fire has razed 133 acres of forest areas in Kampung STC and was spreading to Klauh where an estimated 267-acre forest was affected.
“The area which is still burning is approximately 160 acres,” said the department in a statement yesterday.
Efforts to prevent the fire from spreading further included constructing fire breaks or blocks using two excavator units supplied by the District Disaster Management Committee; deepening drains and setting up ponds to allow Bomba to channel water from the prime mover machine into the drains and ponds for firefighting purposes; and creating access to facilitate firefighters to move into the affected areas.
“In the Kampung STC area, fires at six acres were successfully put out. Three teams consisting of 27 firemen made direct attack on the source of the fire,” it said in the report.
In Klauh, firefighting operations have yet to be carried out but the department is monitoring the situation using a drone as the fire is far from a residential area. The burning area is more than two kilometres from an access village road.
“At Jalan Kejatau (Lingga), the affected area is 200 acres. A team of seven firefighters made direct attacks. Three excavator units were used to construct fire breaks.”
The report stated that its officers would look for a suitable location in Sungai Batang Lupar to facilitate the MMEA’s (Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency) Bombadier aircraft team to obtain water for its water-bombing operation in the affected areas.
