PUTRAJAYA, 10 Oct: Continuous monitoring by relevant departments should be intensified to prevent peat fires in forest areas to repeat, causing serious air pollution.
The Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, said that areas that have the potential to experience peat fires are large and hard to be identified because it starts below ground.
“I ask the Fire Department and the Department of Forestry to take proactive measures to ensure that this problem does not recur,” said Mohamed Azmin.
He said this when met by reporters during a visit to the location of a fire in Pulau Kempas near the North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite) today.
He said that he commended the commitment by the Fire Brigade and the Selangor Forestry Department in controlling the fire at the Kuala Langat Reserve Forest which happened recently.
Azmin said that the Fire Break method by excavating the soil and making a small trench around the peat fire was a wise decision.
“The water bombing method is not very effective. The fire brigade has to build a trench as a fire break and provide high-capacity pumps to prevent the fire from spreading,” he said.
Throughout the year, there has been at at least three cases of fires recorded to have occurred at the Kuala Langat Reserve Forest; around February, June and August.
The fire that happened in February was recorded as the biggest fire this year with an area covering 294 acres, costing a total of RM210,547,53.
Earlier, Mohamed Azmin received a briefing on the Kuala Langat Reserve Forest fire plan from the Director of the Selangor Forestry Department, Dr Ahmad Puat Dahlan and the Senior Superintendent of Fire II, the South Selangor Zone Chief, Azmi Sadon.
Also present was the Executive Councillor in charge of Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs, Elizabeth Wong.
NS
