KUCHING: The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department has urged the public to refrain from open burning, especially in the northern region such as in Miri and Baram where hotspots have been detected.
Its director Datuk Khirudin Drahman said during the current hot spell and dry weather, open burning would cause fires to spread rapidly and make it difficult to extinguish them.
“Based on our past experiences, it is challenging to control open burning as well as peat soil and bush fires once they start to spread during hot and dry days. Thus, we must try to avoid them at all costs,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when contacted today.
“Although we are constantly monitoring the situation on the ground, we also need the cooperation from the local residents as well as other relevant agencies,” he said.
Apart from that, Khirudin said open burning would cause air pollution and have negative effects on human health.
According to him, the State Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) had stopped issuing open burning permits.
He advised farm and orchard owners who needed to dispose of their agricultural waste to contact the authorities — NREB or the Department of Environment — (DoE) for proper guidelines.
Two hundred and thirty open burning cases were recorded from January to May 3; they included 123 bush fires, 89 garbage burning, 10 forest fires, three farm burning, one peat soil fire and four other cases.
