More areas in Sarawak record unhealthy air quality

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — A forest fire in Sri Aman has expanded to cover approximately 100 hectares, raising concerns that it could exacerbate haze issues in Sarawak due to transboundary smoke, according to a report by Harian Metro. The incident, which began around noon yesterday, has affected an area along Jalan Kejatau-Lingga in Sri Aman, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department’s Operations Centre.

The department was alerted to the fire at 1.19pm, prompting a response from the Sri Aman Fire and Rescue Station. By 1.35pm, a team of seven firefighters arrived on the scene and initiated firefighting operations using an open water source from a nearby ditch, supplemented by additional water deliveries from Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) tanker lorries and a tanker from the Betong Fire and Rescue Station.

To contain the flames, firefighters constructed firebreaks. By the time operations concluded at 7.50pm, about 20 hectares of the affected 100 hectares had been extinguished, while the remaining 80 hectares remained uncontrolled. The firefighting efforts were anticipated to continue the following day due to darkness, insufficient lighting, and a scarcity of water sources at the location.

The team faced challenges such as inadequate communication coverage, strong winds accelerating the fire's spread, limited open water sources, and narrow roads impeding the movement of firefighting vehicles. Sri Aman was among the areas reporting unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) levels, with a reading of 114 as of 9pm last night.