Malaysia readies fire crews as underground peat blazes threaten forests amid dry spell

Malaysia’s Fire and Rescue Department is bracing for intensified forest and peatland fires as a prolonged dry spell continues and a Super El Nino looms. Director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohamad explained that peat fires can persist underground, making them far more difficult to extinguish than ordinary bush fires. The agency currently tracks 62 locations deemed prone to large-scale fires, part of a broader list of 183 hotspots recorded over the past five years.

Anticipating the El Nino’s peak in November and its effects from January, the department is enhancing inter-agency cooperation, deploying drones for aerial assessment, and moving portable pumps and hoses with four-wheel-drive vehicles to remote sites. Firefighters can also mobilise personnel and equipment across stations and enlist other agencies for water, heavy machinery and logistics. The fire count has risen from 1,199 to 1,815 bush fires and from 758 to 1,214 farm and plantation fires this year, with officials blaming illegal open burning for most incidents. Authorities urge the public to stop small-scale burning of waste and vegetation, warning that even minor flames can quickly spread to larger areas.