NREB Controller Datuk Jack Liam confirmed that investigating teams are on the ground gathering evidence.
KUCHING: The largest forest fire in Sarawak, which had raged across the Tatau district in the north of the state, has finally been extinguished but only after ravaging 750 acres of land. Firefighters battled the blaze day and night for 11 days to bring the situation under control.
Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai today expressed his gratitude to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department for their tireless efforts in dousing the “monstrous” fire.
“For the record, the forest fire in Kuala Tatau covered approximately 300 hectares at its peak.
“Our Fire and Rescue Department teams managed to douse the flames after 11 days of continuous fighting. This incident serves as a stark warning of the devastation that can occur when fires are triggered by risky human activities during hot and dry conditions,” Sikie stated during a community event in Tatau here today.
Sikie urged the community to remain vigilant against open burning as the prolonged dry spell persists across Sarawak.
The Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) is currently investigating the possibility that this latest round of wildfires was man-made.
Human factors are suspected to have triggered several of the major fires reported in 11 districts since March.
NREB Controller Datuk Jack Liam confirmed that investigating teams are on the ground gathering evidence.
“We have received information regarding the possible involvement of illegal burning in these incidents.
“There are legal provisions we can utilise against those found responsible, involving very heavy penalties,” he said.
In March, authorities detected 18 major hotspots within Sarawak, alongside 241 hotspots in the neighbouring Indonesian province of Kalimantan.
As Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan share a border spanning more than 1,600 km, large-scale fires on either side present a significant risk of serious transboundary haze.
Aside from Tatau, numerous hotspots have been identified in the districts of Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri, Betong, Sri Aman and Kuching.
The ongoing dry spell has not only heightened fire risks but has also led to reported water shortages in several rural areas, affecting longhouses, schools and clinics across the state.