GEORGE TOWN – A fire that engulfed 7.3ha of forested area at the Jalan Chee Seng locality is believed to be due to illegal land clearing activity.
The fire, which took six hours to douse, was considered by residents as bizarre as it took place near water catchment areas, where fires do not occur naturally.
“We fear that this may be due to the illegal clearing of forests and lands by irresponsible hands for reasons that are unknown to us.
“The forests are located close to water catchment areas and it is most bizarre for fires to naturally occur in these areas,” said Tanjung Bungah Residents Association chairman Meenakshi Raman.
She called on the state and relevant government agencies to investigate and explain what exactly transpired and to take urgent measures to prevent such fires from happening.
“We certainly hope that this is not the work of ‘invisible hands’ that have other motives for clearing the forests,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bagan Jermal Fire and Rescue station operations commander Wan Chik Ariffin Mohd Ismail said firefighters received an emergency call around 5pm and arrived at the scene 10 minutes later.
“Upon arrival, we found three parts of the forest area were already destroyed. A total of 50 officers and firefighters were involved in the operation.
“Fortunately, there were no casualties,” he said. – The Vibes, February 5, 2021
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