Pulau Burung landfill fire completely extinguished

NIBONG TEBAL: The fire at more than 11 hectares site of the Pulau Burung landfill in Jalan Byram, here, that began on Jan 12, was fully extinguished yesterday.

The matter was shared by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican in a post on his Facebook page.

He said the success was made possible by the strong commitment and cooperation of all parties involved in the fire extinguishing operation.

"Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), the mission to put out the fire at the Pulau Burung landfill has been completed.

"I would like to thank the #WiraMerah Penang team as well as several other federal and state agencies involved in the operation," he said.

Meanwhile, state Environment and Welfare Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the Penang Department of Environment would continue to monitor the area to ensure there were no more hotspots that could trigger a fire at the landfill.

"The department will also monitor the air pollutant index (API) at the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang Byram station to ensure it is safe for residents in the area to return to their homes," he said.

He said the area recorded moderate API of 73 at 10am, a slight drop from its 7am reading of 74.

The landfill fire incident was reported at about 5 pm on Jan 12 and nearby residents were asked to evacuate to a relief centre, while 10 schools in the vicinity were ordered to close.

-- BERNAMA