FIREFIGHTERS SPEND AIDILFITRI BATTLING 150-HECTARE BLAZE IN KOTA TINGGI

KOTA TINGGI, March 24 (Bernama) -- While millions across the country are celebrating Aidilfitri, the orange-clad heroes from the Punggai Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) here are spending the festive season amid intense heat and thick plumes of smoke.

Since March 21, they have been working tirelessly to extinguish a 150-hectare bush fire along the Punggai Bypass Highway heading towards Sebana Cove, which is now entering its fourth day.

For Auxiliary Fire Officer Iz’aan Nazmi Suri, 24, this year’s celebration carries special meaning as he recently got married in January.

“There is a sense of sadness serving during Aidilfitri. Whether we like it or not, it is our responsibility to ensure public safety,” he told Bernama, his hands firmly gripping a red hose with water pressure reaching up to 12 kilogrammes.

For Sandakan-born firefighter Deddy M. Borhan Umaali, 37, being away from family during festive seasons is part and parcel of his seven years in service.

“During this festive season, there are no holidays. The fire was reported by the public on March 20, when it had already spread significantly. Although we were supposed to be with our families, we immediately responded to put out the fire,” said the supervisor of Team C.

He said dry weather and strong winds posed major challenges, testing the resilience of his team, along with diminishing water sources at the scene.

Firefighter Dyeon Pengiran, 31, from Sipitang, Sabah, said his family’s reminders to always stay safe while on duty act as a guiding reminder that keeps him going despite the scorching heat and billowing smoke.

“The feeling of sadness is there, but as firefighters, we must carry on for the sake of the department. We hold on to the motivation to keep serving so that this fire can be extinguished for the safety of the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Bernama survey found that the fire has also dampened the festive spirit among residents in the surrounding areas due to the lingering smell of smoke from the thick plumes.

A Kampung Punggai resident, Hafizah Bohran, 30, said her family’s open house yesterday was disrupted when thick smoke entered the house, causing her children to start coughing.

“Smoke filled the house, disturbing our guests, and even our sleep has been uncomfortable because of the smell,” she said.

For grocery shop owner Syed Muhammad Halif Syed Abdul Mutalib, 24, besides the smell of smoke clinging to festive clothing, ash from burnt lalang grass has also polluted the surroundings of his home in Teluk Ramunia.

“Fortunately, the fire department acted quickly. The situation has improved today,” he said.

As of 8 am today, Punggai Fire and Rescue Station operations officer Senior Fire Officer I Alvinni Anak Jackson said 63 hectares, or 42 per cent of the affected area, has been successfully extinguished with assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police and Johor Plantation Foundation.

He said operations are ongoing using Fire Rescue Tenders (FRT), and water is being drawn from nearby open sources, with support from the police and Johor Plantation Foundation.

A Bernama check at noon found that firefighting operations along the Punggai Bypass towards Sebana Cove were still ongoing, with smoke gradually subsiding in several areas near Kampung Punggai, Teluk Ramunia and Taman Bayu Damai.

-- BERNAMA