JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has been fighting forest fires for the past four days in the eight-hectare bush area on Jalan Sebana Cove towards Punggai in Kota Tinggi.

Sebana Cove Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) Operations Commander Mohd Khairul Sufian Dahari said the blaze started at 2.57pm on Sunday and work to put out the fire involved 15 members including those from BBP Punggai and BBP Kota Tinggi.

“So far, we have put out a total of 50 per cent of the fire,“ he said in a statement yesterday, adding that the firefighting operation is still underway.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has also flown out its Bombardier CL-415 type amphibious aircraft to assist in the operation yesterday.

Johor MMEA director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria, in a separate statement, said assistance has also been provided by the Fire Department Drone Unit which conducted aerial monitoring for three days at the location and found that the fire was spreading.

“After receiving a request for assistance from the Kota Tinggi district office, the aircraft was deployed to carry out water bombing to extinguish the fire,“ he said.

Nurul Hizam added that the operation would resume today.