PETALING JAYA: Land or plantation owners must proactively patrol their surroundings and ensure all fire fighting systems are functioning in view of the current dry, hot season, says the Fire and Rescue Department. The main cause of forest and bush fires, he said, was due to human carelessness. Fires have razed several parts of the country in the past few weeks, including a peat fire in Pengerang, Johor. On Feb 4, about 5ha of forest at the jeep trail near the Penang Botanic Gardens also caught fire. Besides Johor, other open burning cases have also been reported in Kedah and Selangor.

Source: The Star February 09, 2026 10:57 UTC