Fierce Forest Fires destroy Brunei forests
Pastor Dale Morgan
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*Fierce Forest Fires destroy Brunei forests*
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 June 2009 21:49 Written by Azaraimy HH
Tuesday, 16 June 2009 08:01
Forest Fires Scorch Brunei-Muara Dist
Forest fires are seen behind a row of houses
Fire & Rescue receives 186 calls in two weeks
Bandar Seri Begawan - Hectares of greeneries turned to ashes when
another fire broke out in Rimba yesterday as the country is in the grip
of dozens of forest and bush fires.
Fire personnel estimated some 70 hectares of forest have been affected
by the fire since Sunday.
Official records from the Department of Fire and Rescue Services showed
that a total of 193.71 hectares of greenery had been consumed by fire
between June 1 and June 14, mostly in the Brunei-Muara District.
Statistics showed that the Fire and Rescue Services received 134 calls
on forest fires and 52 for bush fires. Brunei-Muara District received
the highest number of calls at 186 followed by Kuala Belait (30) and
Tutong (12) within the two-week period.
Supt Tuan Ranee bin Haji Othman urged the public to refrain from open
burning activities as the continuing dry spell has made the forest quite
flammable at times.
"It is also against the law to conduct open burning irresponsibly,
because such irresponsible actions may cause loss of assets or worst
loss of lives," he said.
If Open burning activities have also made the soil dry," he added. This,
according to him, has made it difficult to put out the fires.
Meanwhile, the fire personnel yesterday encountered some difficulty in
putting out the fire in Rimba, especially on the hilly part of the
jungle for lack of access.
As the affected area is surrounded by houses, it was all the more
important for the fire fighters to bring the fast-spreading fire under
control. The idea of using a chopper to rain down water from the sky was
also considered.
Strong winds fanning the fire made the task even more challenging for
the fire fighters.
"The only best way to put them out is to cut it off at certain points so
it won't spread," said Supt Tuan Ranee. "At this time, we are worried
about these houses," he added.
According to him, the fire had re-ignited from last night's blaze near
the Institut Teknologi Brunei and spread over to the Perpindahan Rimba area.
He said this is a dangerous time to conduct open burning and urged the
public to be careful.
Meanwhile, smoke from the blaze blanketed the surrounding housing areas
in Rimba yesterday.
Surveillance carried out by the Department of Environment, Park and
Recreation (JASTRE) since June 10 has shown that open burning activities
were carried out in several locations in the country, especially during
evening hours.
JASTRE said these activities to some extent have contributed to the
slight hazy conditions. It also said that on-the-spot advices to curb
open burning activities were given to those concerned.
However, JASTRE said in a statement that the air quality continues to be
good.
The Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) readings between June 10 and 15,
recorded from all the air quality monitoring stations (PM10) in four
districts, were slightly higher than normal (ie above PSI 30), with the
highest PSI reading of 37 recorded on June 14. On normal days, the PSI
reading is below 30.
A PSI reading below 50 is good; between 50 and 100 is moderate; and
above 100 is considered unhealthy.
The Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation said between June 10
and 15, the numbers of hotspots in the western part of Borneo were below
20, according to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre.
In view of the prevailing dry weather period and the likelihood of haze
arising from forest and bush fires, JASTRE has advised the public to
refrain from conducting any open burning activities and to immediately
inform the Fire and Rescue Department of any forest or bush fires.
JASTRE said it would continue to monitor the air quality. The public can
view the air quality online at www.env.gov.bn psi reading or contact
JASTRE at 2383222 extensions 514 during office hours. -- Courtesy of
Borneo Bulletin