PLANTATION FIRE ENGULFS PINEAPPLE AND OIL PALM CROPS IN SIMPANG RENGGAM

KLUANG, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- After the peatland fires in Pengerang and Muar, a plantation fire has engulfed four hectares of oil palm and five hectares of pineapple plantations at Peninsular Plantation Sdn Bhd in Simpang Renggam here, since Friday.

Johor Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Zone 3 chief Siti Hajar Sanusi said the department received a call from the plantation owner at 8.34 pm, and a drone unit was deployed to the location for monitoring purposes.

She said initial firefighting efforts commenced at 9 am yesterday (Jan 31), involving six firefighters from the Renggam Fire and Rescue Station (BBP). The operation continued today with the assistance of 11 members of the Simpang Renggam and Layang-Layang Volunteer Fire Brigades (PBS) and 20 plantation workers.

“The firefighting operation was carried out using direct water spraying from open water sources, in addition to digging trenches to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas.

“At the moment, only the Renggam BBP personnel are involved in the operation. Assistance from Zone 3 personnel will only be mobilised if required,” she told reporters here today.

She also said firefighting efforts depended on weather conditions; if rain occurs, the fire is expected to be extinguished in one to two days.

Entering the second day of operations, about 25 per cent of the affected area had been contained and extinguished, but strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts, causing embers to spread.

“Small drains at the oil palm plantation are being used as water sources for firefighting, while at the pineapple plantation, the fire is being extinguished using the volunteer fire brigade and plantation management’s water tankers.

“At the moment, the fire has been brought under control, but we remain concerned as the pineapple plantation is located near a residential area, about one kilometre from the fire site,” she added.

-- BERNAMA