LUNDU – Firefighters continued efforts to contain a forest fire at the Samunsam Forest Reserve on Friday, with an estimated 2 hectares affected after two days of operations.
Monitoring by drones operated by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) was used to assess the extent of the fire. The Fire and Rescue Department subsequently deployed personnel to the affected area to monitor conditions and carry out extinguishing work.
On the second day of operations on 21 August, the Lundu Fire and Rescue Station team moved towards the fire site at 8.20am. A briefing was conducted by the station chief at 10am before personnel proceeded into the affected area.
At about 10.20am, seven firefighters and six SFC personnel entered the location, which was approximately 400 metres from the nearest access point used by the response team.
Firefighters encountered patches of fire across the area and used fire beaters to tackle the flames. The method was employed because of the scattered nature of the burning sections and the conditions at the site.
By 5pm, extinguishing operations for the day were suspended. The operation is scheduled to resume the following day as efforts continue to contain the remaining fire.
Authorities estimated that approximately 0.1 hectares of the affected area had been successfully extinguished, leaving about 1.9 hectares still affected by the fire.
Response teams are facing several challenges at the incident location. The fire site is about 1 kilometre from the main road, making access more difficult for personnel and equipment.
There is also no available water source at the location of the fire, limiting the options for firefighting crews working in the area. The hilly terrain presents an additional challenge for personnel moving through and operating at the site.
Several senior officers were present at the operation to oversee the response. They included PgB Hadward John Bin Rarandis, head of the Sarawak PGO Branch; PKPgB Arrahman Bin Chik from the State Director’s Office; and PBT I Mosli Bin Haji Salim from the Fire Operations Division.
Other agencies were also involved in the response. The SFC provided nine personnel, while the Department of Environment (DOE) contributed three personnel. Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) was also listed among the agencies present at the operation.
The latest assessment puts the estimated fire-affected area at 2 hectares, with firefighting teams having dealt with a portion of the affected ground during the second day.
Operations will continue as authorities work to suppress the remaining fire and monitor the situation within the Samunsam Forest Reserve.
