Helicopters battle peatland fires across Sarawak as over 150 wildfire cases surge across nine districts in the state.
TATAU: Firefighters here, are waging an aerial and ground battle against raging peatland and bush fires sweeping through Sarawak, with helicopters deployed for water-bombing operations as blazes spread across nine districts from the state’s north to its south.
The worst-hit site is in the Kuala Tatau-Serupai area in Tatau district, northern Sarawak, where the fire entered its fifth consecutive day of operations today.
Aerial monitoring by the Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) estimated the fire covered approximately 300 hectares in total, with around 100 hectares already extinguished as of the latest update.
A Mi-171 helicopter from the Miri Fire Brigade Air Unit — deployed from Miri, roughly 250 kilometres away — conducted 15 water-bombing runs over multiple hotspots at Kuala Tatau-Serupai.
On the ground, two transport pumps and the fire break method were employed, with two excavators used to construct a five-kilometre fire break to prevent the flames from spreading further.
The terrain is making containment extraordinarily difficult.
Sarawak Bomba warned that firefighters are struggling with fires burning deep in areas with no road access, scarce water sources, and flames that are spreading rapidly.
The Tatau blaze is just one of dozens raging statewide.
Active wildfire cases have been confirmed surging across Miri-Kuala Baram, Tatau, and Bintulu districts in the north; Sibu and Mukah in central Sarawak; and Betong, Sri Aman, and Kuching in the south.
Over a 12-day period from March 15 to 26, Miri recorded the highest number of open burning cases at 59, followed by Sibu with 29, Bintulu with 24, and Mukah with 23. In the south, Kuching reported 11 cases, Betong eight, and Sri Aman five.
The situation peaked on March 25 with 35 cases recorded in a single day — described by authorities as a very high level — before easing slightly to 24 cases on March 26, though Bomba said conditions still demand caution and immediate preventive measures.
In Sibu, the most severe single blaze is consuming approximately 16 hectares of bushland near the Ngu Chung Beng Driving Institute on the outskirts of town.
While the press release suggests the cause of fires remains unclear, Sarawak Bomba has pointed a firm finger at human activity.
The department said most cases were triggered by open burning for agricultural purposes as well as deliberate burning.
Authorities have urged the public to stop all open burning immediately given the extreme dry conditions.
In Bintulu, firefighting operations at the Similajau Forest were temporarily halted due to water shortages , underscoring the logistical challenges facing crews battling fires in remote terrain.
Northern Sarawak, and Miri district in particular, is historically among the most fire-prone regions in the country — a pattern that shows no sign of easing this season as hot and dry weather conditions grip the state.
No casualties have been reported.
