Malaysia

Wildfires tear through Sarawak as heat persists

Northern, central parts of state going up in smoke as villagers set small blazes to clear land, burn waste

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 01 Aug 2021 3:57PM

Wildfires tear through Sarawak as heat persists
Firefighters dousing peat fires in Daro district, central Sarawak. – Daro Fire and Rescue Department pic, August 1, 2021

by Stephen Then

MIRI – Sarawak’s Fire and Rescue Department is getting busy again with several parts of the state engulfed in wildfires.

Due to the heat, fires have been cropping up across forests in northern and central Sarawak.

In Miri, some 3ha of land along Jalan Bakam caught on fire yesterday, which has since been doused by the district’s Fire and Rescue Department.

In Daro, firefighters tackled a wildfire that had spread to the peatland adjacent to Kg Sedi.

Some 20ha of forest has gone up in smoke, said state Assistant Corporate Affairs and Public Communications Unit Minister Abdullah Saidol.

“Villagers must stop open burning as the weather gets drier. They set small fires here and there to clear their land and burn waste. However, the fire spreads very fast in this dry weather,” he said.

Abdullah, who is also Semop assemblyman, visited the site with Daro Fire and Rescue Department personnel, calling for concerted efforts to monitor the area.

He did not rule out the possibility of wildfires becoming a problem in more districts as the dry season sets in. – The Vibes, August 1, 2021

Related News

Malaysia / 21h

MMA asks why FDS aircraft cannot match those used by ministers

Malaysia / 23h

Helicopter crash: All FDS operations in Sarawak temporarily suspended - Minister

Malaysia / 1d

Flying Doctor Service to continue despite fatal Sarawak crash

Malaysia / 6d

Chew Jetty fire: Business owners lose everything in the blink of an eye

Malaysia / 6d

Haze in Serian enters emergency phase

Malaysia / 6d

Death sentence for deaf, mute man who killed family of four upheld

Spotlight

Malaysia

Documents reveal British royal charity attempted to ‘doctor’ evidence in SLAPP action

Malaysia

MMA asks why FDS aircraft cannot match those used by ministers

Malaysia

Penang-born woman dies in Perth after alleged domestic violence assault

Malaysia

No senior UMNO leaders to be arrested after PAU – MACC

Malaysia

Hng’s 31-year Gerakan exit puts focus on political direction

By Alfian Z.M. Tahir

Malaysia

Man held after social media claim he solicited alms while carrying parang

Malaysia

Volcanic escalation on Java a threat of potential regional chaos

Malaysia

Anwar surprised by Najib's new pardon attempt

You may be interested

Malaysia

Anwar surprised by Najib's new pardon attempt

Malaysia

Malaysia ready to help Indonesia tackle fires; Sharp rise in dengue cases

By Alfian Z.M. Tahir

Malaysia

Lawyer denies Abdul Azeez chose to appear in lock-up uniform, handcuffs

Malaysia

Forensic psychiatrist says positive aspects of Zara Qairina’s diary were considered

Malaysia

Property market holds firm with RM105.1b transactions in 1H2026

Malaysia

Penang-born woman dies in Perth after alleged domestic violence assault

Malaysia

Zahid calls for GE16 to be brought forward, says Umno ready to share power

Malaysia

Fahmi: 65,280 scam, illegal gambling posts still online despite MCMC takedown requests