| Daniel Lim |
THE Fire and Rescue Department, Operation Branch ‘B’, in an effort to help curb the effect of bush and forest fires that may occur due to the higher-than-normal temperatures during the dry season, conducted a press conference at the Seria Fire Station yesterday afternoon.
Senior Superintendent of Fire and Rescue (SSFR) Muhd Shahreeni bin Haji Yusof, Commanding Officer of the Operation Branch ‘B’ Fire and Rescue Department, explained that the department is monitoring and making preparations to combat bush and forest fire in the dry season.
“In an effort to help curb the effects of bush and forest fire occurring during the dry season every year, the fire and rescue officers in all five stations in the Belait District have conducted patrols around the areas prone to fire at least three times a day,” he noted.
He explained that the constant patrolling and monitoring by the fire and rescue personnel will help identify potential fire hazards in the surrounding area, so that relevant actions can be taken to help extinguish them before it can grow into a large-scale fire.
He also explained that the patrols and monitoring are focussed on key areas prone to fire due to the high temperature, lack of water, remote location, or a combination of the three. “Similar to last year’s efforts, areas that are more prone to fire include the Seria Highway By-Pass, Badas Pipeline, BLNG Pipeline, Sungai Liang area, Mumong area, and Sungai Teraban area,” he noted.
He added that a fire occurring within these areas is difficult to be fully extinguished, as the dense vegetation can hide pockets of embers which can help reignite the fire.
“As such, we are always vigilant and always monitor these areas for potential fires.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to advise the public to not conduct any form of burning, especially close to dry bushes and trees. Not only will it endanger the lives of the people near the source of the burning, but it also negatively impacts our environment.”
In addition, the smoke caused by the burning can be a hazard to road users as it obscures the visibility of the road, making journeys more dangerous for road users.
“We also encourage the village community, associations, as well as the public to continue to cooperate with the fire and rescue personnel dispatched to patrol and monitor the surrounding areas during the dry season in Kuala Belait and Seria,” he said.
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