BY NAZLI IBRAHIM
KUALA LANGAT, AUG 18: Past experience and early preparation are the mian factors allowing the 235 hectares of fire in Kuala Langat Utara Forest Reserve to be contained and put out faster than the incident in 2015.
Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs Exco, Elizabeth Wong said the fire which started on August 3 was extinguished yesterday evening after a 13-day operation since August 4.
“Several contributing factors that helped were having a more effective action plan and better equipment compared to 2015, when we did not have tube well, water source was more difficult compared to how fast we get water now to douse and flood the area.
“This time we could ensure a high water-level. In 2015, we took approximately 45 days with a force of about 1,000 men from various agencies including more than 300 Fire and Rescue workers from many states,” she said.
She said that to the media after the briefing by Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), South Selangor Zone Deputy Head, Abu Bakar Kadir when she went to see the fire-fighting operation at the Kuala Langat Utara Forest Reserve yesterday.
She said, besides continuous extinguishing effort, the fire break method or ditching were also effective to stop fire from spreading, four tube welds to pump up underground water to flood the surface and water the ditches, drones and water bombing for six hours.
Wong said, in 2016, there were no forest fire recorded as the same methods were applied.
She said, the operation led by JBPM ran for 24 hours non-stop involving nine agencies in total.
Besides JBPM, the other agencies were Selangor State Forestry Department, Kuala Langat Land and District Office, Local Authority, Mineral and Geoscience Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcment Agency (APMM), Malaysia Royal Police Force, Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), Gamuda and more.
