By DayakDaily Team
BETONG, Aug 28: A peatland fire that affected 35 hectares along Jalan Bungin, Serembang, here, has been fully extinguished after a seven-day firefighting operation.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said the operation, which began following a distress call on Aug 22, was officially concluded at 4pm today, after all fire sectors from A to F were cleared.
On the final day of operations, firefighters were deployed to several sectors to extinguish and contain remaining hotspots.
Team 1 carried out firefighting along the roadside in Sectors B and D using a pump, hose lines and water nozzles, with water sourced from a nearby drainage ditch.
Team 2 moved towards the end of Sector A to extinguish and contain the fire, while a Kobelco excavator team carried out clearing works and constructed an access route to facilitate firefighting operations.
Bomba said the fire at the end of Sector A was successfully extinguished.
Drone monitoring by the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) subsequently found no remaining sources of smoke or fire around the affected area.
The total area affected was reported at 35 hectares, comprising an initial 33 hectares and a further two hectares. All 35 hectares were successfully extinguished, with no remaining area left to be tackled.
Newly affected areas in Sectors E and F, as well as new fires detected at the corners of Sectors C and E, were also brought under control.
The operation was in the presence of Datuk Razi Sitam at the incident site, although monitoring will continue from time to time.
Bomba said the firefighting operation faced several challenges, including narrow and difficult access routes, a lack of water sources at the affected areas, and poor Government Integrated Radio Network (GIRN) coverage and mobile phone connectivity. — DayakDaily
