Rompin: The fire that engulfed an oil palm plantation in Rompin, covering about 300 hectares, has been almost completely extinguished, with only a small area of about 0.2 hectares still undergoing firefighting operations today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director (Operations and Rescue) Mohd Salahuddin Isa stated that more than 299 hectares of the affected area have been put out since operations began on March 23. He emphasized that firefighting and containment efforts are being carried out intensively to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby areas, particularly amid hot weather conditions.

Mohd Salahuddin reported that over 99 percent of the affected area has been extinguished and operations in three of the four sectors, namely B, C, and D, were fully completed as of 5 pm yesterday. "We expect the remaining fire to be fully extinguished today after two weeks of operations," he said when contacted.

He further explained that the main challenges faced during the operation were the vast size of the affected area, limited water sources, and the hot weather. Despite these challenges, the operation proceeded smoothly with the involvement of personnel from the Rompin, Muadzam Shah, Triang, and Mentakab fire and rescue stations. The team received support from the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) and plantation workers, who provided technical assistance at the site.