KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Firefighters have brought a peat swamp forest fire in Kuala Abang in Dungun, Terengganu, under control, allowing more than 1,000 students from nearby schools to continue their classes as smoke conditions improved.

In a statement, Dungun Fire and Rescue station chief Yahaya Hanafi said visibility and air quality around the affected schools had improved significantly following intensified suppression efforts carried out near the fire zone, Harian Metro reported.

He said a total of 1,024 students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Kuala Abang and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kampung Baru Kuala Abang were initially at risk due to the nearby blaze.

“The situation today shows much better air quality and visibility around both schools,” he said, adding that firefighting operations carried out since yesterday had helped reduce smoke levels.

Yahaya said authorities were closely monitoring conditions to ensure the safety of students and teachers, with learning activities also continuing at SK Kompleks, SMK Kompleks and SK Kuala Abang.

He said the peat fire, which entered its fifth day today, involved 50 firefighters with assistance from various agencies and villagers.

So far, about 32 hectares of the affected peatland have been extinguished, with only 2.5 hectares still burning.

However, he said firefighting efforts in the remaining hotspot were challenging due to the lack of access routes.

“We are working to bring in excavators to create an access path of about 600 metres to reach the affected area,” he added.