DOE monitors bush and peatland fires in Mukah, Daro in Sarawak amid dry spell

KUCHING, Sept 6 — The Department of Environment (DoE) is paying special attention to the fire incidents reported in bushes and peatlands near Jalan Sibujaya Barat in Mukah and Sungai Nai in Daro amid the current dry spell.

DoE deputy director-general (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon said based on the latest status, the fire in the Jalan Sibujaya Barat area had been mostly controlled, covering an area of nine hectares.

“However, the fire still affects approximately one hectare in the Jalan Sibujaya Barat area and is currently being extinguished,” she said in a statement on Sunday.

In Sungai Nai, Azuri said approximately 2.5 of the three hectares are still burning, but the situation is reported to be under control, according to the Fire and Rescue Services Department.

She said fires in vegetation and peatland have the potential to produce smoke and release pollutants that can affect local air quality if left unchecked.

As such, she said the DoE Sarawak will continue monitoring the latest status of the fires at the mentioned locations, including assessing the potential impact on air quality.

Drone flights will also be carried out to obtain the latest picture of the fire status and the extent of the affected area, she added.

“Air quality monitoring and follow-up actions will be carried out based on the actual situation on the ground and the results of the DoE assessment together with relevant agencies.”

Azuri said monitoring would be strengthened if there was an increase in air pollution, while appropriate actions would be taken in accordance with the existing legal provisions to minimise the impact of the fire on the environment and public health.

In the meantime, she reminded members of the public that open burning is an offence under the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 2024, which carries a fine ranging from RM25,000 to RM1,000,000, or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

She said a compound of up to 50 per cent of the maximum fine may also be imposed for each offence.

Everyone is urged to report any fire or open burning to the Fire and Rescue Department at 999 or the DoE at 1-800-88-2727.

Meanwhile, Azuri said two air quality monitoring stations in Sarawak recorded very unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 10am on Sunday. They were Kuching with an API of 223 and Sri Aman (215).

Ten of the 35 locations across the country that registered unhealthy API readings were in Sarawak. They were Samalaju (200), Bintulu (198), Mukah (194), Samarahan (192), Sarikei (188), Serian and Industrial Training Institute Miri (both 182), Sibu (181), Miri (175) and Limbang (160).

The remaining air quality monitoring stations with unhealthy API were Selangor (6), Johor (4), Sabah and Negeri Sembilan (3 each), Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Pahang (2 each), Putrajaya, Terengganu and Labuan (1 each).

Based on the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) report on Saturday, Azuri said a total of 184 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan, 373 in Sumatra and one in Perak.

“ASMC also reported moderate to thick transboundary smoke plumes observed covering the northern part of Borneo.

“Moderate to thick smoke plumes were also observed from hotspots detected in many areas of Kalimantan as well as central and southern Sumatra,” she said.

She added that moderate haze was also observed in Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia. — The Borneo Post