MIRI: A drone belonging to the Civil Defence Force has detected a new hotspot near Miri Industrial Training Institute (ILP Miri) at around 6pm yesterday.
According to the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat, the new hotspot was detected when the drone was carrying out an aerial survey in Kuala Baram, following a meeting held by the State Disaster Management Committee in Kuching earlier on Monday.
“The fire in the area is still active as It is a peat soil and dry land,” it said in a press statement last night.
Meanwhile, Miri Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) chief Law Poh Kiong in a statement last night said that both ground and aerial teams would resume their operation today.
He said the Bombardier CL-415 aircraft would continue to conduct water bombing at the new hotspot.
“What is left in Sector 1 is only small spots of smoke and it does not require Bomba personnel to conduct full time firefighting in the area. Hence, they can be deployed to other areas.”
Law said Naim’s volunteers who were tasked to do direct attack and total flooding at Sector 2, would continue doing that as there were still smoke emanating near Hamidah Yakup Welfare complex.
Meanwhile, Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at ILP Miri and SK Kuala Baram 2 today increased to unhealthy readings of 155 and 129 as of 8am.
The API reading at Miri station on the other hand still record a moderate air quality of 52.
An API reading of zero to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and 301 and above is hazardous.