Sarawak firefighters conduct water bombing to battle third-day Lundu forest fire

KUCHING - Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department launched a water-bombing operation to combat a forest fire at the Samunsan Forest Reserve in Lundu, which had been raging for three days, according to a department statement. The operation was carried out by a helicopter from the Miri Fire and Rescue Air Unit. The department explained that the water-bombing was necessary due to the challenging terrain, making access by land difficult.

Initially, the department had reported that approximately two hectares of the forest reserve were ablaze, based on drone monitoring conducted by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC). Firefighters encountered various challenges, including a road that was one kilometre away from the main road, absence of a water source, and the hilly terrain.

Assistance from nine SFC officers, three each from the Department of Environment and the Natural Resources and Environment Board, was also provided. The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department assured that regular updates on the firefighting efforts and monitoring would be shared periodically.