BACHOK : Forest and landfill fires in Kelantan increased almost three-fold from January to February this year compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman said 144 cases were recorded during the period compared with 55 cases last year.

"Based on investigations and studies made, most of the fires were due to human factor apart from the nature of soil in the affected area," he told reporters after a forest fire operation in Kampung Beris Lalang here, today.

He said 15 firefighters from the Bachok Fire and Rescue department and three Fire volunteers joined in the operation to extinguish the blaze in the 2.4-hectare forest land.

Azmi said firefighters were also still dousing off forest fires in several newly detected 'hotspot' areas covering 0.8 hectares in the same village.

"If the situation is not controlled, we will mobilize firefighters from all over Kelantan to assist in the firefighting operation in the area," he said.

Azmi was confident that work would run smoothly eventhough most of the areas involved highly flammable peat soils, and they were faced with water supply problems.

"We are also using a new tool called "TST Smart Hose" capable of restricting fire movement to larger areas," he said.

Azmi said the public should pay close attention to forest fires and take preventive measures because forest fires were costly and a hazard to lives.

There are more than 1,500 hectares of peat soil land particularly around Kampung Beris Lalang.

- BERNAMA