Recent Forest And Bush Fires Sparked By Human Activity, Says JBPM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- The recent forest and bush fires reported over the past few days are believed to have been caused by human activity, said Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad.

"Natural combustion is unlikely in this weather, so it's highly probable the fires were caused by human actions, even though no specific forensic investigation has been carried out,” he told Bernama today.

Nor Hisham said one of the latest forest fires covered about 1.2 hectares in Bukit Kajang Prima yesterday, requiring 22 firefighters and four fire engines to extinguish.

He said a separate bush fire was reported earlier near Bukit Jalil, prompting firefighters to act swiftly to prevent the blaze from spreading.

“Our monitoring and operations remain under control. No major fires have been reported so far, including in peatland areas,” he added.

From Jan 1 to July 19 this year, a total of 7,223 fire cases were recorded nationwide, involving bush and field fires, forest fires and open burning of waste.

Bush or grass fires accounted for the highest number of cases at 4,733, followed by waste fires (1,662), forest fires (537) and farm or plantation fires (291).

Selangor recorded the highest number of incidents with 1,364 cases, followed by Perak (938), Johor (831), Kedah (662), Kuala Lumpur (113) and Labuan (44). Putrajaya reported the lowest number, with just eight.

Meanwhile, several areas in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, including Nilai and Johan Setia, recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) levels today, believed to be caused by transboundary haze from forest fires in Indonesia.

Nor Hisham urged the public to refrain from open burning and to report any signs of fire immediately to prevent the situation from worsening.

-- BERNAMA