By DayakDaily Team
SRI AMAN, Aug 10: Firefighters battling a forest fire along Jalan Kejatau-Lingga here have managed to extinguish 20 hectares of a 100-hectare affected area, with operations suspended overnight due to poor visibility and limited water sources.
According to a report from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), a call was received at 1.19pm today, and firefighters from the Sri Aman station were deployed.
Firefighting operations were carried out in two sectors using water from open sources, including drains, with assistance from tankers from the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) and the Betong station.
In Sector 1, firefighters deployed a 300-foot hose line with a dividing branch, two attack hose lines with two nozzles, and a 200-foot water line from an open drain.
Sector 2 involved a 200-foot hose line with a forest pump and nozzle, using an open water source and assistance from a pump at a nearby oil palm plantation.
Firefighters also created a firebreak to prevent the blaze from spreading, while an excavator from the Sri Aman Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) assisted in the operation.
Bomba said the fire had affected 100 hectares, of which 20 hectares had been extinguished, leaving 80 hectares still burning.
The operation was suspended at 7.50pm and will resume tomorrow (Aug 11) due to a lack of lighting and insufficient water sources.
Among the challenges faced by firefighters were the lack of Government Integrated Radio Network (GIRN) coverage, strong winds that caused the fire to spread rapidly, limited open water sources, and narrow road access. — DayakDaily
