NIBONG TEBAL: Firefighters required approximately ten hours to fully extinguish a blaze at the Pulau Burung landfill site which began early this morning.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of Fire and Rescue Operations Division John Sagun Francis confirmed the incident involved a fire at a pile of solid waste within Phase 3 of the landfill.
He stated that the affected area covered 0.6 acres, representing 3% of the site’s total 25.96-acre area.
“Initially, the fire was under control at 9.30 am, however, the fire persisted in the lower part of the landfill,” he said in a statement today.
John explained that the firefighting operation was strategically divided into two separate sectors to manage the complex situation.
“The firefighting operation has been divided into two sectors, using water sources from fire engine tanks as well as water tankers through the ‘relay pumping’ method due to the absence of fire hydrants at the location,“ he said in a statement today.
Firefighters implemented a firebreak method with crucial assistance from four excavator units that dug and separated garbage piles to prevent further spread.
John announced that crews additionally employed direct attack and total flooding methods in their comprehensive effort to combat the flames.
The fire was successfully extinguished completely at 4.05 pm, with the entire operation officially concluding at 5 pm.
Emergency services received the initial call reporting the fire at 6.39 am this morning.
Thirty-two personnel from the Nibong Tebal Fire and Rescue Station led the operation with support from multiple stations.
Assistance came from Sungai Bakap, Bandar Perda, Penanti, and Bayan Baru fire stations alongside volunteer brigades from Nibong Tebal, Parit Buntar, and Tanjung Piandang.
This incident marks another fire event at the problematic landfill site following previous outbreaks.
The last recorded fire occurred on July 21, 2024, affecting a substantial area of 3,500 square metres.
A major fire in January 2022 involved over 8,000 square metres and prompted the National Security Council to declare the area a Level 1 disaster zone.
That significant incident necessitated the opening of two temporary evacuation centres for residents from Byram Estate and Kampung Kebun Baru affected by severe air pollution. – Bernama
