KUALA TERENGGANU, April 24 — The Terengganu Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is monitoring forest areas at risk of fires due to the current hot weather.

Its operations commander, Mohd Mazimi Mohamad said this follows the five-hectare forest fire in the Marang area, near Setiu, that was successfully extinguished early today.

"Although we managed to successfully douse the fire in this forest area, we will continue monitoring due to the extremely hot weather now. We will also do so for other forest areas where fires always break out whenever there are hot spells,” he said when contacted today.

Mohd Mazimi said the operation to extinguish the forest fire began at 7pm yesterday and ended at 2.30am, and involved a total of 35 personnel from the Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Jalan Kota, Wakaf Tapai and Besut fire stations.

He said that the cause of the fire had yet to be identified.

"However, the forest areas around Marang are usually hit by forest fires almost every year during the hot weather as the weeds easily catch fire,” he added.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) in a Facebook post yesterday said that seven areas in Peninsular Malaysia as well as two in Sabah were expected to experience a Level 1 heatwave warning for at least three consecutive days with a maximum temperature of between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius.

According to MetMalaysia, the affected areas in the peninsula are Kuala Terengganu; Jeli, Kuala Krai, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah in Kelantan; Rompin in Pahang; and Jempol in Negeri Sembilan whereas in Sabah the areas involved are Beaufort and Nabawan. — Bernama