FIREFIGHTING, MONITORING STEPPED UP AFTER SURGE IN OPEN BURNING

PUTRAJAYA, March 25 (Bernama) -- The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has intensified firefighting operations and 24-hour monitoring following a marked rise in open burning incidents since mid-March.

In a statement today, JBPM said 12,222 open burning cases were recorded nationwide between Jan 1 and March 25, with a consistent increase beginning March 17.

“Starting March 17, the trend of open burning has shown a steady and increasingly significant rise, with cases gradually increasing from 180 to 213 on March 19 before surging sharply to 304 on March 20.

“The increase continued to 363 and 362 cases on the following days, before peaking at 452 cases on March 23, marking a significant spike within a short period,” the statement said.

According to JBPM, the number of cases dipped slightly to 444 and 439 on March 24 and 25 respectively, but remained at a high level.

“This situation indicates that the trend of open burning remains at a worrying level and has yet to show signs of a sustained decline,” the statement added.

JBPM said the past two weeks have seen a shift from a controlled situation to a more aggressive increase, requiring continuous action to manage the situation.

According to JBPM, Kedah recorded the highest number of open burning cases at 2,411, followed by Johor (2,221), Selangor (1,266), Melaka (961) and Perak (935).

Based on deployment data, JBPM said fires involving bush areas accounted for the highest number at 9,492 cases or 77.66 per cent, followed by rubbish fires at 1,280 cases (10.48 per cent), forest fires at 829 cases (6.78 per cent) and plantation or farm fires at 621 cases (5.08 per cent).

JBPM said 203 large-scale fire locations involving areas exceeding two hectares were detected across 44 districts in 11 states, with a total affected area of 2,406.23 hectares.

Of that total, JBPM said 1,783.14 hectares or 74.10 per cent of the affected areas have been extinguished, while the remaining 623.09 hectares or 25.90 per cent are still under firefighting operations, particularly in Pahang (537.36 hectares) and Johor (85.73 hectares).

JBPM added that continuous monitoring is being carried out at hotspot areas using data from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre and Air Pollution Index readings via the Air Pollutant Index of Malaysia system, as well as 24-hour weather monitoring by the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

Monitoring and patrols are also being conducted through aerial surveillance using helicopters and drones, in addition to cooperation with the Forestry Department, the Department of Environment (DOE) and volunteer fire brigades nationwide.

JBPM said the number of open burning cases recorded has shown a fluctuating trend in recent years, with 13,906 cases in 2023, rising 17 per cent to 16,294 cases in 2024, before dropping by about 39 per cent to 9,941 cases in 2025.

In this regard, JBPM advised the public to immediately call the 999 emergency line if they detect any open burning incidents or to lodge a report with the DOE if it involves human activity.

According to JBPM, open burning is an offence under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, punishable by a fine of up to RM500,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

-- BERNAMA