KUCHING: Efforts to extinguish a raging fire in Kuala Baram’s forest and peat soil of about 15 acres near Kompleks Hamidah are ongoing.
This was revealed by Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak director Khirudin Drahman yesterday.
“The peat fire operation is still ongoing particularly in Kompleks Hamidah (Lot 3079) which covers about 50 acres where our team has secured 15 acres of the area.
“This area is considered fire-active because it still produces smoke or haze. The Bomba team is trying its best to stop it from burning and spreading,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when contacted yesterday.
He added, “Apart from Lot 3079, there is also another area of 50 acres, which produces smoke or haze.
“Initially, the peat soil fire was getting bigger in the concerned area but it is already contained by firebreaks.”
The operation involved a Bomba team comprising 10 firefighters led by assistant fire superintendent Mohd Ammar, Naim Berhad team comprising of 10 workers, a portable pump unit, an excavator unit and three four-wheel-drive vehicles.
When asked on the cause contributing to the bush fires in Miri and other parts of the state, Khirudin said they were mostly due to open burning activities. “With the current hot weather condition, a bush fire can be easily caused by a flick of a cigarette butt as well.
“There is no evidence to show that any bush fire was caused by cigarettes because we only received calls after fires had spread. But we believe cigarettes are one of the cause factors,” he said.
