NIBONG TEBAL, Jan 19 — The Fire and Rescue Services Department (JPBM) is using water bombing to put out the fire at the Pulau Burung landfill in Jalan Byram, here.

Penang Environment and Welfare Committee chairman, Phee Boon Poh, said that the JPBM operations involved the use of helicopters from Subang, Selangor, to help put out the fire that broke out last Wednesday.

“The firefighting operation using water bombing in the landfill area was carried out by JBPM two helicopters, and water bombs were released over the hotspot based on the thermal image issued by the Department of Environment (DOE).

“Eight JBPM officers and personnel are involved in the operations, with the use of helicopters, from 10am until an hour later. We are hoping the operation will help reduce the spread of fire in the landfill,” he said when contacted today.

Phee said each water bomb could contain 1,600 litres of water, and he understood that the two helicopters made a series of water bombings in the affected area.

He said that during the JPBM water bombing operations, all agencies and residents were prohibited from flying drones in the area.

Meanwhile, in another development, Phee said that 44 individuals from 10 families living near the Pulau Burung landfill had been evacuated to two relief centres (PPS), here, since Sunday.

He said that eight people, including a senior citizen and a baby, were placed at the PPS Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bakap Indah, while 36 individuals including three senior citizens were placed at PPS SK Saujana Indah.

A check found that 10 schools located near to the landfill were ordered to close for three days from today, due to the air index within a radius of 10 kilometres being at AEGL 3 (Acute Exposure Guidelines Level), where the air affects health and threatens the lives of residents.

The schools involved are Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang Byram, SJKT Ladang Changkat, SJKT Nibong Tebal, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Pai Teik, SK Seri Sentosa, SK Keledang Jaya, SK Nibong Tebal, SK Methodist, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seri Nibong and SMK Methodist.

Media previously reported that about 400 residents from 86 families living near the landfill were ordered to evacuate due to safety factors. This was following a fire that broke out, involving an area of 6.5 hectares (ha) out of a total of 16.2 ha of the landfill, at about 5pm, last Wednesday. — Bernama