JBPM reports surge in open fire calls during Southwest Monsoon

PUTRAJAYA: The number of calls for open fire cases in four states, namely Perak, Selangor, Johor, and Sarawak, has seen a sharp increase, exceeding 100 calls per day last week, according to the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).

In a press conference after the JBPM’s monthly assembly here today, JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said the number of daily calls concerning open burning surpassed 100 cases on July 25 and 26, reaching 249 calls on Saturday and 244 on Sunday.

He said that the average number of daily calls for open fire received by JBPM was between 50 and 60, but a sudden spike occurred due to the current Southwest Monsoon phase.

“My biggest concern is that open fires usually involve large areas and take a long time to extinguish,“ he said.

The Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) expects low rainfall to continue until the start of the monsoon transition phase, which will cause hotter and drier weather until mid-September.

From May 17 until last Saturday (July 27), Nor Hisham said JBPM recorded 2,491 cases of open fires, involving farmland, shrubs, and rubbish burning.

He said Perak recorded the highest number of open fire cases with 515, followed by Selangor with 344, and Terengganu with 289 cases.

“In June, a total of 685 open fire cases were recorded,“ he said.

Following the increase in open fire cases, Nor Hisham said the department would carry out operations more efficiently and identify hotspots where fires occur.

“We have identified areas such as landfill sites and will conduct close monitoring,“ he said, adding that operations will also involve community firefighters.