Open burning a risk during heatwave
picture for illustrative purposes - FILEPIC
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Its Fire Safety Division Senior Assistant Commissioner Nordin Pauzi, said that such actions are very risky, and can cause large fires to occur which could lead to property damage and endanger public safety.
Nordin explained that, open burning, especially by farmers in farm areas, can be the cause of major fires due to the effects of fires that still occur in fuel piles or piles.
He said, the traditional method that is still practiced by farmers to facilitate cleaning work in fields and save costs is very risky when the weather is hot and dry.
"Despite knowing the effects of open burning during hot weather, there are still a few farmers who take advantage of the hot weather to burn bushes or garbage piles in their fields because it makes cleaning work easier.
"They don't think that the fire embers are is still in under the garbage pile where it can re-ignite and become a big fire after that.
"For that reason, it is very inappropriate and dangerous for people, especially farmers, to do open burning in this extreme heat because it can cause unexpected fire incidents," he told Sinar on Friday.
Nordin explained that the situation could worsen if the fires were not completely extinguished and spread into the forest nearby or bushes filled with leaves or dry wood.
He also added that forests fire usually spreads quickly and can result in a large fire which can create a dangerous situation for public safety, property destruction and also harm the environment.
"A fire that is not completely extinguished and is not visible because it is under the peat soil, is very dangerous if it spreads into the forest filled with leaves and dry wood.
"These incidences can happen in the blink of an eye without anyone realizing it and will result in destruction and great loss.
Nordin went on to say that large-scale and long-lasting open forest fires can cause the phenomenon of haze, thus causing problems for the socioeconomic and health of the community.
He urged all responsible parties and other government agencies to play a role in implementing awareness campaigns for the community to educate on the dangers of open burning.
He added that, at the same time, all parties involved would also need to activate a 'contingency plan' in case of an unwanted incident.
"The main focus is to give awareness to the public first, before JBPM can cooperate with other government agencies such as joint patrols to prevent fires.
"With the cooperation, agencies that have more powers than JBPM can take action against any party that is still stubborn or violates the rules of the law that have been set," he said.
