Published on: Friday, March 19, 2010 |
Kota Kinabalu: State Fire and Rescue Department recorded 822 bush fires throughout Sabah from January to March, this year.
According to statistics furnished by the department, 28 cases were recorded in January while 354 bush fires occurred in February and 440 cases were recorded so far this month. So far, 122 bush fires were recorded in Kota Kinabalu, followed by Sandakan with 109 cases and Kota Belud with 62 cases.
In Tuaran, the district fire and rescue station received 73 fire emergency calls this year. Its chief, Rudy Mekii said most of the emergency calls made were regarding bush fires.
Tuaran recorded 54 bush fires with three cases in January, 28 cases in February and 23 cases in March.
"The public are advised not to burn their garbage and not to simply throw cigarette butts to reduce and prevent bush fires from occurring.
"In a day, the station received at least five emergency calls É From January to March, three houses caught fire and one of them involved the death of a senior citizen in Kampung Tonuan, Jalan Ranau," Rudy said.
Meanwhile, the station also received nine special service calls this year.
Most of the calls made were regarding road accidents."
In TAWAU, Tanjung Batu Assemblyman, Datuk Hjh Hamisa Samat, reminded the people not to waste water when conducting their daily activities such as cooking and washing.
She said the depleting water source as well as the dry spell could worsen the conditions should the wasting of water continue.
"Should fires break out and there is no water source, the outcome would be tragic and unimaginable," she said, when inspecting the water rationing in Kelabakan which involved 300 villagers here. Also present were local leaders and People's Development Leader Unit of Tanjung Batu.
Hamisah urged the Village Development and Security Chairman and Village Head to make early preparations to handle drought problem which would soon effect other villages as well.
"Using water wisely in all activities in our daily lives is the best way to face this problem, so it is the duty of the leaders to continuously remind the people to stop wasting water," she said.
Tawau is among the districts badly affected, as the depth of the Tawau river, the main water resource for the district, has been rapidly decreasing for the last two months.
Other areas also affected are Keningau and Tenom, where the Pegalan river had lost 80 per cent of its water compared to normal.
