Firefighters are battling a spreading peat fire in Pengerang, Johor, about 30 kilometers across the strait east of Singapore, and have requested helicopter water drops to contain the blaze that has prompted the evacuation of over 100 residents.
Peat Fire Spreads in Johor, Affecting Air Quality in Singapore
As of 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, the fire had spread to 99.54 hectares, according to a fire department official. The blaze has expanded 20 times its initial size of around 5 hectares since it began on Jan. 23, now covering an area roughly the size of 120 football fields.
The fire is one of several hot spots in Johor causing haze that has affected air quality in parts of Singapore, with some Johor residents reporting thick smoke billowing into their homes.
Superintendent Muhammad Tarmizi Md Jaafar, assistant director of the fire and rescue operations division at the Johor Fire and Rescue Department, said on Jan. 27 that the department has called for helicopter assistance from Malaysia’s central airbase in Subang, Selangor, to begin water bombing operations in the affected area on Jan. 28.
“Depending on the helicopter’s availability from Subang Airbase, we expect (the water bombing operations) to commence tomorrow (Jan. 28) morning,” he said.
The situation in Taman Bayu Damai is under control after officers dug a canal using an excavator to isolate the burning areas, according to Supt. Tarmizi. He added that they have yet to receive helicopter assistance.
“We have managed to control the spread of the wildfire, and the next step is to initiate total water flooding of the peat grounds,” he said.
The peat soil fire is located in a forested plot of land near the Taman Bayu Damai estate, along Jalan Sungai Kapal, in the Punggai area of Pengerang, about 55 kilometers from Johor Bahru.
Pengerang state assemblyman Aznan Tamin said on Jan. 26 that the peat fire was caused by dry and hot weather as well as strong winds.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Jan. 24 that a detected hot spot and smoke plume in Johor near Singapore had caused air quality in the eastern part of Singapore to drop to an unhealthy range.
On Jan. 26, the agency said it was closely monitoring the haze situation after a burning smell became noticeable in some parts of the country, with a map indicating several hot spots of “vegetation fires” to the north of Singapore.
As of 6 p.m. on Jan. 27, Singapore’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index ranged from 39 to 61, within the good to moderate range, according to an update from NEA. However, the agency noted that prevailing winds from the north and north-east could transport smoke haze from any persistent fires toward Singapore, given the dry weather ahead.
As of 11 p.m. on Jan. 27, the PM2.5 reading for the central part of Singapore was 10, while in eastern Singapore it was 20, according to NEA’s website. PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles in the air measuring up to 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Air quality is deemed “normal” if the reading is in the zero to 55 range, while a PM2.5 reading between 151 and 250 indicates a “high” level of such particles in the air.
Johor’s top official for health and environment, Ling Tian Soon, said two temporary shelters had been set up on Jan. 26, with one in Taman Bayu Damai housing 86 residents and another housing 28 people at a government school.
In a statement, Mr. Ling said five people had been hospitalized due to smoke inhalation issues, while two others required outpatient care. One 22-year-old firefighter suffered burns and received treatment in a clinic.
Taman Bayu Damai residents reported thick smoke billowing into their homes beginning on Jan. 23, as the fire crept closer to the neighborhood. “Our house was covered by smoke and ash for two days since Friday due to the fires, but the situation is improving as the fire has spread to other areas,” said Muhammad Aizat Mengom, 32, a restaurant owner. He added that his two children were coughing due to the smoke.
Supt. Tarmizi said there were 71 cases of forest and peat fires across 10 districts in Johor on Jan. 26, with Johor Bahru recording 25 wildfire cases – the highest in the state. As of around 4 p.m. on Jan. 27, there were 27 wildfire cases across seven districts in the state.
Data using Google Maps indicated wildfires in Punggai in the Pengerang district, and one wildfire spot at the “severe” level farther up north in the coastal sub-district of Sedili Kechil, Kota Tinggi.
Firefighters in Senai, near the Johor Bahru Senai International Airport, also reported grappling with peat fires in the area. Ch’ng Kae Shyang, chairman of the Senai Volunteer Firefighting Force, said they extinguished a wildfire the size of about 100 square meters in Senai Jaya – about 22 kilometers from Johor Bahru – on the evening of Jan. 26. “The fire had been raging for two days since Jan. 25 after we received a report of workers burning trash in the area,” said Mr. Ch’ng. “We initially had put out the fire on Jan. 25, but it continued raging underneath the soil as the weather is dry and hot.”
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