ARAU: Pauh town is once again shrouded in thick smoke from the Padang Siding landfill which caught fire about 6am today.
About 20 per cent of the 5ha landfill went up in flames, releasing an odour stretching to a 500m radius.
State Fire and Rescue Department Deputy Director Mohd Salahuddin Isa said the department received a distress call at 7.15am and arrived at the scene 10 minutes later.
About 30 firefighters put out the fire using five fire engines and two backhoes.
He said it took the department about half an hour to control the fire.
"We immediately took firebreaking measures by using backhoes as soon as we arrived at the scene.
"It took us about half an hour to control the fire from spreading rapidly to other areas.
"The cause of fire is still under investigation but we believe that it was triggered by the hot and dry weather," he said, adding that it was also believed that the fire could have started yesterday.
This is the second time the Padang Siding landfill went up in flames, with the first taking place in February two years ago which took firefighters about two weeks to completely put out the fire.