NIBONG TEBAL, Jan 19 — The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has managed to put out 35 per cent of the 4.05 hectares (ha) of fire at the Pulau Burung landfill in Jalan Byram.
Penang JBPM assistant director (Operations), Mohd Hafiz Hafizan Timaradin said the firefighting operations showed good progress today after it carried out water bombing using helicopters.
“Based on today’s monitoring, after 16 rounds of water bombing and several other methods, we found that 35 per cent of the burning area has been successfully extinguished, and no traces of fire can be seen (there), while the rest are still burning.
“Thus far, we found no fire spread to the new area at the 16.2 ha landfill and water bombing methods will continue tomorrow so that the fire can be extinguished soon,” he said at the press conference on the firefighting operations, here today.
He said that the fire department, together with several other agencies including Seberang Perai Island City Council (MBSP) and Penang Island City Council (MBPP), had taken steps and devised several other methods, including firebreaks, to speed up the firefighting operations.
Meanwhile, Seberang Perai Selatan district police chief, Supt Lee Chong Chern, who was also at the press conference, said that the landfill was declared a level 1 disaster area based on National Security Council (MKN) directive No. 20, and that he was the commander of the operation.
“Following the declaration, the public is no longer allowed to enter the area, and with smoke coming out of the fire at the landfill into the surrounding area, we have started conducting disaster operations since last Monday.
Also at the same press conference, Seberang Perai Selatan district officer, Marlia Mohd Belia, said 45 people from 10 families are currently housed in two PPS while the rest have temporarily moved to the homes of their relatives, but there are residents who refuse to evacuate.
Thus, the district office is conducting regular monitoring to ensure their safety, assisted by police and Rela (People’s Volunteer Corps) personnel, she said.
State Department of Environment director, Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab, who was also present, said the department also monitored the air quality round-the-clock daily within a radius of seven kilometres to ensure it was safe, and there was a decrease in readings of air pollution, compared with yesterday. — Bernama
