Penang Fire and Rescue Department operations centre officer Y. Anbarasan said the number of fires from January has reached a new high of 1,210 compared to 370 cases in the same period last year.
“The hotspots are mostly on the mainland, with more cases reported in Kepala Batas, Bukit Mertajam and Sungai Bakap,” he told The Malay Mail yesterday.
Anbarasan said the fires occurred in forests, bushes and landfills.
On Saturday, fire razed 3.2ha of mangrove forests in Kampung Bakau Tua, Sungai Bakap, from noon. It was only put out seven hours later.
Kuala Muda Fire and Rescue station operatinsn chief Yusmin Mohd Yusoff said the overlapping trees and the wind caused the fire to spread quickly.
Other areas were not affected by the fire
Two weeks ago, fires were spotted in Bukit Gambier but they were brought under control few hours later.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) has forecast that there will be no rain in the state for the next seven days.
