By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 31: Uncontrolled forest fires continue to plague four separate locations across Sarawak, with the total affected area reaching 103.25 hectares as of today.
According to Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak, the largest blaze is burning near Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Mukah, having scorched 75.32 hectares since it was first reported on July 25.
Now in its seventh day, the firefighting operation involves personnel from Bomba Mukah, the Royal Malaysia Police, Armed Forces, Civil Defence Force, other government agencies, as well as plantation workers. The broader fire-prone area is estimated at 10,597 hectares.
In Marudi, a 21.43-hectare pineapple plantation has also been affected, with firefighters from Bomba Marudi actively engaged since July 26. Meanwhile, a former landfill site in Kampung Plaie, Kota Samarahan, has recorded a fire spanning 2.5 hectares.
A fourth blaze was reported in Kampung Danau Melikin, Serian, where a forest fire has consumed four hectares since July 28.
Fire suppression efforts are ongoing at all sites, with ground teams working tirelessly to contain and extinguish the flames.
In a report by TVS, Sarawak Bomba director Jamri Masran said firefighting efforts in Mukah are now fully focused on areas near Mukah Airport due to active flames threatening to disrupt aviation operations.
“This decision followed a coordination meeting with relevant agencies, which found that the fire was advancing dangerously close to the airport perimeter,” he said on Wednesday (July 30).
As a precaution, airport operations have been temporarily suspended. To support containment, the Bomba Air Unit has deployed helicopters to carry out water bombing missions in critical zones.
A total of 6,360 litres of water was dropped over three runs in nearly three hours yesterday.
“This is a crucial step to prevent the fire from spreading to the airport and nearby infrastructure,” Jamri stressed. — DayakDaily
