GEORGE TOWN, Jan 24 — Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) in Penang put out 12 open burning incidents within 12 hours yesterday following hot and dry weather conditions affecting the state since that morning.
State JBPM Operations Division assistant director John Sagun Francis said that between 8am and 8pm, the department received 29 emergency calls, with 17 of them involving fire-related cases.
“Of the total number of fire incidents, 10 involved grass and bush fires, which were due to the current dry and windy weather conditions,” he said in a statement last night.
He added that two cases of rubbish fires were also recorded in Kepala Batas, believed to have been caused by residents carrying out open waste burning activities.
In this regard, he advised the public to cease all forms of open burning and to refrain from indiscriminately discarding cigarette butts to prevent more serious fire risks, particularly under the prevailing hot and dry weather conditions. — Bernama