Fire engulfs 1.24 hectares of Similajau forest

BINTULU (March 25): Around 1.24 hectares of forest in the Similajau area near here were destroyed in a fire last night.

According to a Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) statement, a team from the Kidurong Bomba Station was dispatched after receiving a distress call around 7pm.

“Upon arrival, the firemen found that the blaze had engulfed part of the forest, with flames still spreading and destroying the surrounding area,” Bomba said.

Firefighters used two hose lines and two nozzles to tackle the blaze, drawing water from fire engines and tankers.

However, operations were temporarily halted at 2.16am due to an insufficient water supply.

Firefighting efforts resumed at about 8am today to extinguish remaining hotspots and prevent the fire from reigniting.