Kota Bharu: Firefighters play a vital role in all types of rescue operations, frequently risking their own lives in the line of duty. Some of the dangers they face are invisible, lurking in the form of toxic fumes with every breath they take. This is especially the case when extinguishing fires at waste disposal sites, a task frequently handled by the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) Kelantan.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, unlike other states in Peninsular Malaysia, waste disposal in Kelantan is often done directly by residents in areas designated by local authorities. As a result, all kinds of waste, including hazardous materials that should never be disposed of there, end up at the dumpsites. Unsurprisingly, fires frequently break out at these sites, sometimes releasing toxic gases that pose serious risks to the safety of firefighting teams.

JBPM Kelantan reported handling 1,827 open burning cases last year, with 207 involving incidents at garbage collection sites. ‘In Kelantan, residents bring their waste directly to centralised locations. a practice that differs from other states where scheduled door-to-door collection is done. So, the waste is not filtered (separated) and left to pile up. When a fire breaks out, it’s hard to detect it. we’re talking about smouldering fires, that is, slow-burning fires beneath the surface that can spread without warning. That’s the most dangerous type,’ Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said in a recent interview.

Despite the high risk of inhaling toxic gases, JBPM is always the first agency to respond when a fire occurs at a waste disposal site. Under the National Security Council (NSC) Directive No. 20, JBPM is the first responder for any chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) incident. ‘In other words, our team’s role is to first eliminate immediate hazards – such as fire – so that the relevant authorities can enter and manage the disaster,’ he added.

In the context of fires at waste disposal sites, Farhan Sufyan emphasized that these incidents should not be viewed merely as fire outbreaks but rather as ‘systemic disasters’ involving multiple agencies due to the different types of waste present. The four main categories of waste found at such sites are sewage, solid waste (including domestic and scheduled waste), radioactive waste, and chemical waste, which are managed by different agencies. Extinguishing fires at landfill sites often requires heavy machinery and large volumes of water, sometimes pumped from rivers located several kilometres away from the site.

Farhan Sufyan also explained that under JBPM’s operating protocol, the department takes full control of firefighting operations during the first 48 hours. After that, responsibility is handed back to the local authority or appointed agency. If the fire continues to burn beyond that period, JBPM will only provide additional assistance on a paid basis, unless the incident poses a threat to public safety.

Commenting on the toxic fumes, he noted that burning materials like tyres and plastic release toxins that can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even long-term health effects. If the toxicity is too high, the JBPM’s special HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) unit is brought in, but not every dumpsite fire requires their involvement. In Kelantan, a HAZMAT team is on standby and will be deployed if the toxins’ danger levels exceed normal thresholds, with the assessment done on-site based on initial monitoring.