ALOR STAR: Firefighters are battling the hot weather and winds to put out a forest fire over a 2.4ha area on Gunung Baling in Baling.
The 14 firefighters are assisted by more than 50 personnel from various enforcement agencies and mountain guides in the operation that began yesterday evening.
Baling Fire & Rescue Station chief Mohd Jamil Mat Daud said the firefighters set off at about 5.30pm yesterday to the area at a height of 260m, bringing along firefighting equipment and 25 litres of water in bags.
“The fire is spreading because of the hot weather and winds of 15kph,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Mohd Jamil said the weather and winds had only enabled them to put out the fire in 10% of the area.
He said the firefighting operation resumed today and an MI-17 helicopter was expected to be used to monitor the area.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained but it is suspected to have been triggered by mountain climbers. — Bernama
