Johor conducting water bombing for partially controlled Pengerang peatland fire

PENGERANG: Johor’s fire and rescue department will carry out water bombing on Wednesday (Jan 28) in efforts to extinguish a peatland fire in Pengerang that started last Friday.

Fifty-two per cent of the 99.55 hectares affected – which is roughly equivalent to 120 football fields –  has been brought under control, said the department's deputy director Muhammad Al Mustakim Abdul Hady on Wednesday, as reported by news outlet Sinar Harian. 

The department said the fire spread rapidly due to dry and windy weather, sending thick smoke into the Taman Bayu Damai residential area to its south. 

Air quality in Singapore has also been affected but as at 6pm on Tuesday, the country’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index ranged from 39-61, within the Good to Moderate range, said its National Environment Agency.

In a Facebook post on Jan 27, the agency said: “Dense cloud cover obstructed satellite views north of Singapore today, preventing the detection of hotspots. However, with dry weather ahead, prevailing winds from the north and northeast could transport smoke haze from any persistent fires toward Singapore.”

The affected area was initially about five hectares, said Punggai Fire and Rescue Station chief Ezam Mistorerrodin, as reported by news outlet The Star. 

A firefighter sustained burn injuries while battling the fire while 153 residents from 50 families have been evacuated and are being housed in two relief centres, according to local media reports.

The dense smoke blanketed housing areas, causing breathing difficulties and reduced visibility. As of Tuesday, residential areas remained shrouded in thick white smoke and a strong burning smell.

The Johor fire department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that its operation has faced “challenges due to limited water sources and difficult access routes to the fire site”.

It has deployed a drone unit to help in assessing the rate of spread and terrain conditions, it said.

A total of 26 department personnel are involved in the firefighting operation and their equipment includes a fire rescue tender (which carries water), a mobile pumping unit and a three-tonne lorry.

The operation is supported by several federal agencies including the Royal Malaysian Police, the civil defence force and the department of irrigation and drainage, local media reported.

For Wednesday’s water bombing mission, a helicopter with two pilots and 13 crew members will depart from a central airbase in Selangor, said Ruzaidi Ramlee, head of the department’s air division operations management branch. 

The helicopter is equipped with a 1,590-litre collapsible water-carrying device called a Bambi Bucket.

“The use of helicopters is only efficient for surface fires. Apart from extinguishing fires, helicopters are also used to make fire breaks and deliver personnel and equipment to places that are difficult to access by land,” Ruzaidi told Bernama news agency.

Ruzaidi said the team would conduct an aerial survey to determine the current state of the fire for further mission planning with the operation commander.

Peatlands are a type of wetland that comprise partially decayed organic matter. They are known to store rich amounts of carbon that are released into the atmosphere when they burn. 

In general, peat fires are known to smoulder underground and can be difficult to extinguish.