JBPM Monitoring Fire At Penang Botanical Gardens

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Penang Fire and Rescue Department is conducting continuous monitoring at the fire area at Penang Botanical Gardens here to ensure there are no remaining flames or embers that could potentially spark a repeat fire, following the fire that occurred yesterday evening.

State Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Mohamad Shoki Hamzah said the fire had been extinguished, but monitoring through the use of drones and regular observations by firefighters would continue.

“This monitoring is important to ensure that if a fire occurs again, extinguishing operations can be carried out immediately.

"The monitoring is not only in the fire area, but also the entire forest on Bukit Bendera because the location is among the 28 forest fire hotspots in Penang," he told reporters at the fire location on Jalan Kebun Bunga, here today.

He said that since yesterday, the entire area that has been burned involves an area of ​​about eight hectares out of the total 91 hectares of the Island Forest Reserve on Bukit Bendera while a fire control centre has also been set up at the location to coordinate extinguishing operations quickly.

Meanwhile, Bukit Bendera Cable Car Project director Muhammad Rizal Muhammad Samadi said the fire area did not involve the project's cable line, but was located not far from the construction area.

He said his department was also conducting continuous monitoring to ensure safety aspects were guaranteed and that the project was running smoothly.

Earlier, the media reported that the forest fire, which started at 6.20 pm yesterday, was put under control at 9.30 pm last night and was completely extinguished at 10.50 pm with the eight-hectare firefighting operation being divided into three sectors.

-- BERNAMA