PUTRAJAYA: Nearly 2,500 open burning cases have been recorded between May 17 and July 27.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department, there were 2,491 cases of open burning, including 1,597 bush fires, 552 landfill fires, 218 forest fires, and 124 fires at estates and farms.
Its director-general Datuk Noor Hisham Mohammad said Perak had the highest number of open burning cases (515), followed by Selangor (344) and Terengganu (289).
He said there was a significant increase in cases this month, with 1,309 cases recorded, a 90.51 per cent rise compared to 685 cases in June.
"This month, we recorded 873 bush fires, 263 landfill fires, 98 forest fires, and 75 fires involving estates and farms," he told reporters after his department's monthly assembly at the Fire and Rescue Department Headquarters today.
The event was also attended by its deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman, deputy director-general (development) Datuk Othman Abdullah, and Fire Safety Division director Datuk Khirudin Drahman.
Noor Hisham attributed the increase to the Southwest Monsoon, which began on May 17 and is expected to continue until September.
"During this monsoon season, the wind blows consistently from the southwest direction with lower air humidity and more stable atmospheric conditions. These conditions lead to a decrease in rain cloud formations, which in turn leads to lower rainfall within this period," he explained.
He added that the department typically received between 50 and 60 calls on open burning cases daily, but received 249 calls on Saturday and 244 calls on Sunday.