SRI AMAN – Firefighters were deployed to a large fire along Jalan Kejatau in Lingga on Monday, 10 August 2026, after an estimated 50 hectares of land were found to have been affected by the blaze.
The emergency call was received by Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat (BBP) Sri Aman at 1.19pm, with the incident location approximately 23 kilometres from the station.
The fire was recorded at Jalan Kejatau, Lingga, at coordinates 1.245161, 111.397182.
Upon reaching the location, the operations team confirmed that a fire was actively burning across the affected area.
PBK I (TBK I) Noor Faqriakmal served as the operations commander for the first day of the response.
Senior officers at the scene included PgB Muhammad Rais bin Rosalan, PPgB Shaibullah, PBK I Chimiam Anak Duyu and PBK I (TBK I) Freddy Anak John.
The firefighting operation was divided into two sectors to allow personnel to tackle the fire from different areas.
In Sector 1, firefighters deployed a 300-foot branch line with two attack hose lines and two nozzles.
The team also made use of open water sources from nearby drains, with a 200-foot line laid to support the firefighting operation.
Water supplies were further supported by tankers from the Jabatan Bekalan Air Luar Bandar (JBALB) and a tanker from BBP Betong, which assisted in supplying water to firefighting machinery.
A separate approach was taken in Sector 2, where firefighters deployed a 200-foot forest pump line and one nozzle.
Open water sources were also utilised in the second sector, while pumps from a nearby palm plantation provided additional assistance in the plantation section.
Firefighters also created firebreaks in an effort to prevent the blaze from spreading further into surrounding areas.
Excavators from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sri Aman were involved in supporting the operation.
Several agencies were listed as assisting the firefighting effort, including DID Sri Aman, IBET, JBALB and the Royal Malaysia Police.
IBET provided two personnel, while JBALB deployed two personnel and one tanker.
The Royal Malaysia Police also provided two officers during the operation.
Despite the combined efforts, firefighters were able to extinguish an estimated 20 per cent of the affected area during the first day’s operation.
The firefighting operation was eventually suspended at 7.50pm on Monday and was scheduled to resume on Tuesday, 11 August.
The decision to stop the operation was made due to reduced visibility and limited water sources at the location.
Several challenges complicated the response, including the lack of mobile phone coverage in the area.
Strong winds were also reported to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
The limited availability of open water sources, particularly drains, created another challenge for firefighters attempting to maintain a steady water supply.
Access to the affected area was further complicated by narrow road conditions, which made movement and logistical support more difficult.
The combination of strong winds, limited water availability and difficult access required firefighters to adopt different approaches across the affected sectors.
The use of firebreaks and excavators formed part of the effort to contain the spread while firefighting teams worked on the burning areas.
The available incident report does not provide information on the cause of the fire.
It also does not state whether any injuries, casualties or property damage were reported during the first day of operations.
The fire was being handled as an ongoing incident, with further firefighting work planned for the following day.
By the time operations ended at 7.50pm, an estimated 20 per cent of the affected area had been extinguished.
Firefighters and supporting agencies were expected to return to the location on 11 August to continue efforts to control the remaining fire.
The incident highlights the difficulties of responding to a large fire in an area where access is restricted, water sources are limited and strong winds can accelerate the movement of flames.
As of the end of operations on 10 August, the fire had affected an estimated 50 hectares, with firefighting efforts scheduled to continue the following day.
