Lundu: The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) today carried out a firefighting operation using water bombing to help extinguish the forest fires in the Samunsan Forest Reserve, Lundu, which entered its third day.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sarawak JBPM in a statement today announced that the operation involved a helicopter from the Miri Fire and Rescue Air Unit. "The water bombing operation was carried out on the third day to help extinguish the fire in an area that is difficult to access by land," the statement read.

Previously, JBPM announced that it had received a report that about two hectares of the forest reserve area was on fire based on monitoring using drones owned by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

Meanwhile, JBPM announced that among the constraints faced by the fire brigade in the firefighting operation in the area was the access road to the fire location, which is located about one kilometre from the main road, in addition to the absence of a water source and the hilly conditions of the area.

According to the statement, the operation was also assisted by nine officers from SFC, three each from the Department of Environment and the Natural Resources and Environment Board. Sarawak JBPM said information regarding extinguishing operations and monitoring will be updated from time to time.