THE fire at Compartment 15 of the Kuala Langat Selatan Forest Reserve in Sekangor, which was first detected yesterday, has now spread over more than 40ha due to the hot, dry and windy weather.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said the state government had obtained assistance from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to carry out water bombing using a Bombardier CL-415 aircraft to speed up the firefighting work.

He said the use of water-bombing techniques was carried out at 2 pm, and is believed to be able to speed up the extinguishing process by between two and three weeks from the expected time of four to six weeks previously.

“We have managed to extinguish an area of ​​6.07ha since yesterday, and efforts have been made to extinguish the source of the fire from which it continues to spread to other parts near the forest,” he told reporters during a visit to the area today.

He said a total of 180 personnel from various agencies were assigned to put out the fire. These included 120 firefighters, 30 people from the Forestry Department and seven people from the MMEA.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Terengganu, state Fire and Rescue Department director Md Hilman Abd Rashid cautioned farmers and plantation owners against open burning in the current weather conditions. 

He said 20 hotspots had been detected in the state that were at risk of major fires. 

They include Ladang Tebung Haji Lembah Bidong, Setiu; Kampung Pengkalan Jering, Dungun; Kampung Meraga Beris, Kemaman and Kampung Batu 7 in Dungun. – Bernama, March 2, 2021.