By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 31: A total of 6,360 litres of water was dropped over three helicopter bombing runs in nearly three hours on Wednesday (July 30), successfully slowing the spread of a raging forest fire across approximately 105 hectares in Mukah.
In a TVS news report quoting Bernama, the aerial firefighting operation was conducted by the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak using a Mi-171 helicopter with an underslung water bombing technique.
Bomba Mukah chief Nicholas Belulin said the rapid response significantly slowed the fire’s movement and prevented it from spreading to nearby areas.
The operation began at around 3.30pm, but had to be called off after 42 minutes due to a technical fault in the aircraft’s system.
“An inspection revealed several components need to be replaced. The spare parts are expected to arrive tonight (Wednesday) via land transport from the maintenance team,” he said.
The bushfire, first detected on July 24, has prompted ongoing containment efforts by Bomba, with firefighting operations carried out in phases.
Nicholas said yesterday’s mission was conducted under hazy conditions, with visibility around eight kilometres and wind speeds between 10 to 15 knots.
To control the fire and protect nearby oil palm plantations and residential areas, fire crews have also implemented aerial monitoring and created firebreaks on the ground.
He noted that the aerial water bombing method was deployed as an additional measure after conventional ground operations became increasingly difficult due to the fire’s intensity, vast coverage, and difficult terrain.
Operations are expected to resume today, pending confirmation that the aircraft is safe and ready for flight. — DayakDaily
