Northern Sarawak wildfires persist into third week as hotspots spread across 11 districts

Firefighters from the Fire and Rescue Department stations in Miri city, Lutong and Lopeng are working around the clock to combat numerous hotspots that have been burning day and night.

MIRI: Wildfires and forest blazes in northern Sarawak continue to rage into their third consecutive week, with substantial fires currently burning through forested land and peat swamps.

Firefighters from the Fire and Rescue Department stations in Miri city, Lutong and Lopeng are working around the clock to combat numerous hotspots that have been burning day and night.

According to the latest ground reports, scattered hotspots of approximately two to three acres each are burning in populated zones, including Kuala Baram, Kampung Batu Satu and Tudan.

In a statement, the Miri fire station confirmed that aerial water-bombing will commence shortly in an attempt to douse the more inaccessible blazes.

The situation is particularly critical in Kuala Baram, where several large fires are burning deep within peatland.

On Tuesday alone, five major hotspots were reported during the night in the Miri district.

The current crisis began to escalate on 25 March, when massive forest fires were reported in at least three districts. Since then, the blazes have spread to 11 districts, causing significant environmental damage.

The worst-hit areas include: Miri, Tatau, Sibu, Bintulu and Mukah.

In Tatau, approximately 750 acres of forest in the Kuala Tatau-Serupai locality burned non-stop for 11 days.

Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Office Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai described the situation in Tatau as a warning of how destructive such fires become once they rage out of control.

The Minister took to task those who continue to use fire for land clearing and the disposal of agricultural waste.

The Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) commenced an investigation two weeks ago into the possibility that human negligence or intentional burning triggered these outbreaks.

Northern Sarawak remains notorious for annual fires and haze, with the Miri district consistently identified as one of the most vulnerable areas in the region.