SIMANGGANG: Firefighters have ended a seven-day operation to battle a forest fire at Jalan Kejatau-Lingga after heavy rain overnight helped extinguish the blaze that had scorched about 80 hectares.
The operation was officially terminated at 12.10 pm today (Aug 16) after the rain provided much-needed assistance in putting out the remaining hotspots.
The fire, which broke out on Aug 10, had burned an estimated 80 hectares of land.
Firefighters from Sri Aman station managed to extinguish about 65 hectares before the rain helped put out the remaining affected area.
A total of 18 firefighters were involved in yesterday’s operation, which focused on checking the area and ensuring there were no remaining hotspots.
Other agencies assisting at the scene included the Civil Defence Force (APM), Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), Department of Environment (DOE), and plantation workers.
It was reported that the firefighting operation had been challenging due to limited open water sources, strong winds that caused the fire to spread rapidly, and narrow access roads.
