SHAH ALAM, Feb 11 — Open burning cases in Selangor have risen nearly twofold amid this year’s dry spell, which has fanned fires in forest and brushland, said Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Dato’ Wan Md Razali Wan Ismail.
He added that 674 cases involving bushfires and uncontrolled waste, forest and brushland burning were recorded between February 1 and 8, compared with 319 in the same period last year.
“There is a rise in reported open burning cases. This happened because the weather in early 2025 wasn’t that dry compared with the weather in early 2026, which is much drier,” he told Media Selangor.
Wan Razali said several areas have been identified as open burning hotspots, including the Kuala Langat South Forest Reserve (HSKLS), which recently saw a fire that spread over tens of hectares.
“The Raja Muda Forest Reserve, Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (HSKLU), and brushland in southern Selangor have also been identified as hotspots with a history of fires,” he added.
According to him, Selangor JBPM will keep proactively monitoring the situation and ensure personnel preparedness as well as close cooperation with related agencies.
He said JBPM helicopters are being used to monitor open burning in inaccessible areas.
Wan Razali advised the public not to start open fires, including by burning rubbish, grass, or agricultural waste as these could spark massive blazes.
“The public is urged to immediately report any sign of smoke or fire to JBPM so early action can be taken.
The people are also encouraged to more safely manage their waste, such as by composting or recycling, and not littering cigarette butts especially in hot and dry weather,” he said.
According to Wan Razali, community awareness and quick action are important in preventing small fires from becoming immense disasters.
In a related development, several forest fires were recently reported in Selangor, including a blaze that razed 22.6ha of HSKLS.
In Hulu Selangor, seven fires were reported on February 4, involving gardens, farms, jungles, brushland, and industrial areas, including one on Jalan Peretak where 6ha of forest was set alight.
Other fires were reported in Hulu Tamu in Batang Kali (2ha of forest burnt), Bukit Beruntung (1.2ha of brushland), Jalan Zurah 5 in Rasa (1.2ha of shrubbery and weeds), Taman Desa Rening Jaya (0.8ha of forest), Taman Seruling (0.4ha of brushland), and the Rasa industrial area, which stemmed from the burning of garbage.
