KUCHING: The Department of Environment (DOE) Sarawak is stepping up monitoring and field action following reported fires in scrubland and peatland areas in Mukah and Daro amid worsening air quality in several parts of Sarawak.
DOE Sarawak said it is giving particular attention to fires near Jalan Sibujaya Barat, Mukah, and Sungai Nai, Daro, due to the higher risk of fire under the prevailing hot and dry conditions.
It said fires involving vegetation and peatland could produce smoke and pollutant emissions that could affect local air quality if not controlled.
According to recent status, the fire at Jalan Sibujaya Barat had been brought under control and extinguished over an area of nine hectares, with about one hectare remaining under firefighting operations.
At Sungai Nai, Daro, about 2.5 hectares of the three-hectare affected area was still burning, although the situation remained under control, according to the Fire and Rescue Department.
DOE Sarawak said it would continue monitoring both locations while assessing their potential impact on air quality.
Drone flights would also be conducted to obtain an updated assessment of the fire situation and the extent of the affected areas.
“Air quality monitoring and follow-up action will be carried out based on actual conditions on the ground and the results of assessments by JAS together with relevant agencies,” it said in a statement today.
The department said it would also continue monitoring open burning activities and fire incidents that could contribute to deteriorating air quality.
Monitoring would be intensified if pollution levels increased, with appropriate action taken according to its jurisdiction and existing laws to minimise the impact of fires on the environment and public health.
The move comes as two areas in Sarawak recorded “very unhealthy” Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 10:00 am, with Kuching recording 223 and Sri Aman 215.
Several other areas in the state also recorded “unhealthy” readings, including Samalaju (200), Bintulu (198), Mukah (194), Samarahan (192), Sarikei (188), ILP Miri (182), IPD Serian (182), Sibu (181), Miri (175) and Limbang (160).
DOE said the current situation is occurring amid persistent dry weather across parts of the southern ASEAN region.
The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre reported on September 5 that 184 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan, 373 in Sumatra and one in Malaysia, in Perak.
Moderate to thick smoke haze was also observed over northern Borneo, with smoke originating from clusters of hotspots in Kalimantan as well as central and southern Sumatra.
DOE Sarawak said it would continue monitoring API readings, hotspots, meteorological conditions and transboundary haze developments as inputs for situation assessment and coordinated haze management at district, state and national levels.
