MIRI – Firefighters in Miri district and numerous parts of Sarawak are having their hands full tackling wildfires in different areas, with the smog and acrid haze worsening over the past two days.
A hotspot the size of three acres (roughly the size of three football fields) detected at the Riam housing area near Miri city was successfully doused last night by Miri firefighters.
The wildfires produced smog that covered a wide area.
Residential zones located kilometres away was choked with a dense and pungent smell of ash, even until the early morning hours.
The Miri fire station unit today said the Riam wildfires have been contained.
A big hotspot in Mukah district was also detected over the past day and tackled by firefighters in the central Sarawak district.
The fire there blazed on for about eight hours in a forested area. The affected four-hectare area is roughly the size of about 10 football fields.
“Water tankers were deployed to the site of the forest fires to facilitate total flooding of the site that was on fire.
“We had to use pumps and a hose measuring 1,400-ft long to reach the fire site,” said the department.
Fire breaks were also created to stop the flames from spreading further. The flames in the Mukah forest were doused at about 7pm on Monday.
Parts of Sarawak have been experiencing a very hot spell. – The Vibes, August 16, 2023
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