Oil palm plantation fire destroys 60ha in Pahang state

 

Some 60ha of an oil palm plantation in Kampung Jemeri, Kuala Rompin, were destroyed in a fire this afternoon. - Pic from JBPM Pahang Facebook

KUANTAN: Some 60ha of an oil palm plantation in Kampung Jemeri, Kuala Rompin, were destroyed in a fire this afternoon.

A Pahang Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the department received an emergency call at 2.41pm, and a team from the Kuala Rompin Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene at 3.15pm.

He said firefighters managed to bring 40ha of the affected area under control.

"The firefighting operation was suspended at 5.15pm and will resume tomorrow to fully extinguish the fire in the affected areas," he said in a statement.

The spokesman confirmed that no casualties were reported in the incident.

"Firefighting efforts were carried out using a 600-foot hose line, one breaching unit, and water sourced from an open water supply using a portable pump unit with four jets," he added.

The operation involved nine firefighters and four plantation workers, using a lorry and two four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Malaysia is the world's second-largest producer of palm oil after Indonesia. The commodity is widely used in food products, cosmetics, and biofuels globally. - Bernama