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A Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) helicopter is expected to carry out water bombing operations tomorrow to extinguish a 12.14-hectare peatland fire along Jalan Sungai Kapal, Taman Bayu Damai, here.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin stated that the state Fire and Rescue Department has requested helicopter assistance from the Central Region Air Base in Subang, Selangor, with the aircraft expected to arrive tomorrow.

The fire has produced thick smoke spreading into nearby residential areas, while dry weather, strong winds, peat soil conditions, and poor road access have hampered ground firefighting efforts, Aznan Tamin told Bernama today.

As a precautionary measure, 52 people from 17 families have been relocated to a temporary transit centre at the Taman Bayu Damai Multipurpose Hall. Residents have been advised to wear face masks, comply with evacuation orders , and seek medical treatment if they experience respiratory problems.

Earlier reports said the fire in Punggai had spread from 5.26 hectares to 12.14 hectares due to dry and windy conditions, with continuous northerly winds causing new flare-ups and thick smoke drifting into residential areas.

The Fire and Rescue Department previously said firefighting in Sector A could not be carried out due to distant and limited water sources, while personnel were concentrated in Sector B where fire spread was more active. This follows a similar fire on Jan 18 involving a nearby 2.83-hectare plantation that took four days to extinguish.