SHAH ALAM, Feb 5 — Hulu Selangor recorded seven fires on Tuesday, with open burning identified as one of the key contributing factors.
In a statement, the District Information Office said the fires broke out in orchards, plantations, forests, scrubland, and industrial areas.
“Bukit Sentosa Fire and Rescue Station chief Kamil Hamadan confirmed that apart from the current hot weather, irresponsible open burning of rubbish and undergrowth by certain parties has been identified as the main cause,” it said today.
The office said that among others, a major fire in Rasa Industrial Area on Tuesday afternoon was caused by the burning of waste from tree-trimming works.
A similar incident was reported on Jalan Kenanga 6, Bukit Beruntung.
“There are still individuals who deliberately burn rubbish and tree-clearing waste without considering the risks. The current hot, dry and windy conditions cause fires to spread rapidly and make them difficult to control,” it added.
According to the District Information Office, personnel from the Bukit Sentosa and Kuala Kubu Bharu Fire and Rescue Stations, in cooperation with several agencies including the Civil Defence Force, Volunteer Fire Brigade, and Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), were deployed to fight the fire.
Other than Rasa Industrial Area and Bukit Beruntung, the other affected locations were Jalan Peretak (6ha of forest), Hulu Tamu, Batang Kali (2ha of forest), Jalan Zurah 5, Rasa (1.2ha of bush and grassland), Taman Desa Rening Jaya (0.8ha of forest), and Taman Seruling (0.4ha of scrubland).
“The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) advises the public to be more vigilant and to comply with the ban on open burning.
“Monitoring and enforcement will be further strengthened to curb activities that could threaten public safety and the environment,” it said.
Members of the public are urged to immediately report open burning to the authorities via the Fire and Rescue emergency line at 999 or the Environment Department (DOE) hotline at 1-800-88-2727.
