KENINGAU: Several fires were reported during the current hot spell, including in paddy fields along Jalan Kota Ayangan and in Kampung Tigot, as well as a bush fire in Kampung Keningau.
District Fire and Rescue Station Chief Servinus @ Mohd Nizam Singkui said firefighters were deployed to contain the fires, including a bush fire on Tuesday which destroyed about one acre of vegetation.
He said eight firefighters were sent to Kampung Tigot after receiving an emergency call at 3.29pm, along with an FRT fire engine and an Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) vehicle.
“The fire was caused by people taking a shortcut to dispose of dry straw because they wanted to clear their paddy fields,” he said, adding that some believed the fire would stop on its own once it reached the boundary of their land, but the flames instead spread over a large area and caused haze.
Servinus said firefighters battled the blaze for nearly three hours in the open paddy fields, laying about 300 feet of hose through the dry straw while working through thick smoke to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby vegetation and public property.
He advised the public not to carry out open burning indiscriminately, warning that fires could quickly spread in hot and windy conditions and threaten neighbouring plantations and people.
