1,300 hectares of forest areas destroyed so far

SANDAKAN – With the entry of the new Lunar Year, many would naturally expect to see the Tiger come roaring in. Instead, here in Sabah, forest and bush fires have come roaring in fast and with great fury, causing severe damage to forest reserve areas, tree plantations and other properties.

Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) officials disclosed here Feb. 18 that close to 1,300 hectares (ha) of forest reserve areas have so far been ravaged by fires since the hot and very dry weather conditions hit various parts of the state two weeks ago.

Forestry workers engaged in mopping up action after fire has destroyed part of the Binsuluk Forest Reserve.

The worse hit is the Binsuluk Forest Reserve in the Beaufort District on the west coast, where so far about 100ha have been devastated by fire.

SFD officials believe the fire there was caused by the clearing of and open burning at an adjacent land lot by the local community.

Several places within the forest plantation areas of the Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) in the Sipitang District, totally about 90ha, were burnt, causing loss estimated at half a million ringgit.

In the case at the SFI fire, one of the causes of fires was believed to be arson, originating from a contractor’s kongsi, according to forestry sources.

Other causes of fires there were due to indiscriminate disposal of smoldering cigarette butts within the plantation blocks.

The most recent fires include those at: the Bukit Hampuan Forest Reserve in Ranau District (20ha); and the Melawaring Forest Reserve (4ha).

At the same time, over 80 officials from the Forestry Department and another 70 personnel of the Fire & Rescue Services Department, worked hard and were successful in controlling bush fires that occurred at an adjacent private land lot to spread to the Klias Forest Reserve.

A four-man unit of the Fire Brigade trying to put off one of the many bush fires along the Papar-Beaufort highway on Feb. 9.

The Klias Forest Reserve in the Beaufort District has a total of 3,630ha of mixed peat swamp forest, where according to forestry officials, fires arising from such peripheral peat lands are a constant threat.

All in all, a total of 1,297ha of forest areas have been damaged by the latest fires. This goes to show that the extent of forest fires during the hot and dry season this year is more widespread than that of last year.

During the first seven months of 2009, about 805 hectares of forest areas were burned due mainly to the El Nino condition that hit the south-east Asian region then, as it has done so now.

The worse hit area last year was the Sook Plain in the interior region of the state where about 400 hectares of the reserve were destroyed.

Director of SFD, Datuk Sam Mannan said today that the situation of the current forest fires is under control.

In order to prevent such fires to spread, he has cautioned all holders of Sustainable Forest Management Licensee Agreement (SFMLA) in Sabah to upgrade their fire prevention and control capabilities.

He has also directed them to close all entry points into their Forest Management Units (FMU) areas, thus preventing any illegal entry into forest areas.

The department’s deputy director, Fidelis Edwin Bajau, only a week ago warned villagers in areas bordering forest reserves in Sabah not to carry out open burning in order to prevent forest fires.

Obviously such warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

Encik Pilis Malim, the deputy head of the Sustainable Forest Management Division of the SFD pointed out that the Forestry Director, Datuk Sam Mannan (photo right), “is very alert and articulate on the rules of engagement in dealing with complex issues such as fire.”

Pilis, who is based at the SFD head office in Sandakan, added, “The field personnel and staff of the Forestry Department are continuously trained and retrained to in forest fire prevention and control."

“This is carried out every year, especially in the first quarter of the year to pre-empt drought in the second quarter that could induce the occurrence of forest fire.”

He disclosed that the SFD has a fire danger rating system that provides an early warning of impending danger of possible occurrence of fire.

Pilis, however, noted that although the SFD is “well equipped”, it is not “fully equipped” with fire fighting tools to combat forest fires more effectively.

The SFD has made a further appeal to the public to refrain from carrying out open burning, especially in areas bordering forest reserve areas.

The public are reminded that anyone proven to have caused fires in forest reserves is liable to punitive action under Section 19 of the Forest Enactment.

Anyone found guilty could be fined up to RM100,000 or five years imprisonment or both.

Bush fires such as this on private properties could spread to forest reserve areas.

Section 19 of the Forest Enactment says:

19. (1)  Any person who kindles, keeps or carries any fire, or leaves any fire burning, near a Forest Reserve in such a manner as to endanger such Reserve or any forest produce therein shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for seven years and to a fine.

      (2)  The fact that any fire has escaped into a Forest Reserve and damaged any forest produce therein shall be conclusive proof that the person who kindled such a fire is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) of this section.

      (3)  Where any fire escapes into a Forest Reserve from any alienated land and causes damage to any forest produce, the occupier of such alienated land shall be guilty of an offence under subsection (1) of this section unless he proves:

            (a)  that such fire was not kindled by himself, his servants or agents or any member of his family; and

            (b)  that on becoming aware of such fire on his land, he took all reasonable measures to prevent such fire from spreading to such Reserve.