By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Mar 28: Firefighters are continuing efforts to contain a large peat fire covering an estimated 300 hectares in Tatau, with operations entering its fifth day on Friday (Mar 27).
In a report from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), firefighters resumed firefighting operations at 8.50am, focusing on preventing the blaze from spreading further into nearby oil palm plantation areas.
Firefighters deployed two portable pumps using 200-foot hose lines to implement the fire break method, aimed at containing the fire from advancing into the plantation land.
Mopping-up operations were carried out along the firebreak zones before teams continued extinguishing hotspots deeper within the affected area.
Two additional excavators were also deployed to assist in constructing fire breaks spanning about five kilometres.
Approximately two acres of fire were extinguished today, bringing the cumulative area put out to about 100 hectares so far, while another 200 hectares remain affected.
Due to strong winds in the evening, operations were shifted to areas at risk of embers spreading from across the fire zone.
Firefighting efforts were suspended at 7.05pm and are scheduled to resume today.
The fire first broke out on March 23. — DayakDaily
