MIRI, March 25 — The Miri Division Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC) has called on the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to help battle a raging peat fire in Kuala Baram.
Committee chairman Miri Resident Jamalie Busri said MMEA has been asked to send its Bombardier aircraft to conduct water bombing operations.
“We had requested today from MMEA for the Bombardier to assist in our operation to put out the raging peat fires in Kuala Baram.
“We have requested for the aircraft to be mobilised as soon as possible,” he told The Borneo Post.
He said water bombing is necessary as some of the affected areas are very difficult to reach either on foot or by fire engine, posing great challenges to firefighters battling the fire.
“Not only that, the fire spreads so quickly, which makes it very difficult to contain,” he said.
In terms of manpower, he said MDDMC has engaged various departments in the operation so there are sufficient personnel for firefighting in Kuala Baram.
As of 10am this morning, the Department of Environment’s Air Pollutant Index Management System (Apims) showed the Miri Industrial Training Institute (ILP) station had an unhealthy API reading of 123 as smoke and haze blanked mostly residential areas in Kuala Baram, Senadin, Tudan, and Permyjaya.
For the Miri station, the reading was at a moderate API of 74 as of 10am.
However, by 1pm the API readings at ILP Miri and Miri decreased to moderate level at 97 and 72 respectively.
An API reading of between zero and 50 is good, 51 and 100 is moderate, 101 and 200 is unhealthy, 201 and 300 is very unhealthy, while a reading above 300 is hazardous.
When contacted, Zone 6 Fire and Rescue chief Ismaidi Ismail said as of 6pm yesterday, the peat fire had spread to an area of at least 70.9ha.
“If the peat fire continues, more areas will be affected,” he said.
Firefighters have been battling the peat fire since Saturday, with Transport Minister Datuk Sri Lee Kim Shin, who is in charge of MDDMC, calling on the public to refrain from open burning to prevent the occurrence of haze. — The Borneo Post
