The forest fires on Bukit Bendera and Bukit Gambir are under control with almost 80 percent having been put out, said Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Tamat.

He said the department used the Bombardier aircraft belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to put out the fire on Bukit Bendera which started on Tuesday and Bukit Gambir yesterday.  

“At 11 o’clock this morning, the Bombardier aircraft carried out 14 ‘water bombing’ trips and 20 trips this afternoon starting at 3pm... thereafter, firemen climbed up the jungle to put out the fire manually.

“We expect to put out the fire completely tonight,” he told reporters in George Town today.

He said the department had also prepared eight mobile retention ponds in the affected area to facilitate operations to put out the fire using ‘jet shooters’.

He said 40 firemen were involved in the operation today and that the department would continue to monitor the area.

The routes going up to Bukit Bendera via Taman Belia and Taman Botani were still closed to the public until work to put out the fire had been completed.

Meanwhile, he said the fire at the Bukit FRU forest yesterday had been put out completely late last night.

- Bernama