By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, July 23 — A fire along Jalan Genting in Kuala Kubu Baharu has destroyed 22.6ha of forest land since yesterday.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said the team received an emergency call at 6.34pm yesterday, although firefighting could only start today due to safety concerns and the lack of a water source.
“Upon arrival at the location, about 22km from the Kuala Kubu Baharu Fire Station, at 7.12pm yesterday, the operations commander reported that the fire initially involved an estimated eight acres (3.2ha) of forest area.
“However, firefighting could not start due to the lack of access routes. Around 10pm, the team managed to find an entry, but by then, the affected area had expanded to (22.6ha).
“Firefighting is now underway, and we are waiting for aerial support. The Special Tactical Operations and Rescue Team of Malaysia has also been deployed,” he said in a statement today.
This comes just days after a forest fire along Jalan KP 1/3, Kajang Prima, on July 19, involving a 1.2ha area. It was reported to be a victimless incident.
A separate bush fire was reported earlier near Bukit Jalil, but swift action by firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to surrounding areas.
On Monday, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said 7,223 fires were recorded nationwide from January 1 to July 20, involving farmland, forests, bush, and landfill sites.
Meanwhile, the Environment Department (DOE) reported that persistent rain in northern Southeast Asia has kept hotspot activity low.
However, dry weather is set to persist in the southern region of Southeast Asia, which may lead to an increase in hotspots and raise the risk of transboundary haze.
DOE director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said his department will intensify patrols and monitoring in high-risk areas, including agricultural, peatland, bush, abandoned plantations, and landfill sites.
