BLAME man for the record number of bush fires here this year.
Blame careless smokers who toss lit cigarette butts into
vegetation. Blame those who leave behind lit candles and burnt
offerings at makeshift altars. Blame those who decide to cook out
in the open using charcoal stoves.
They accounted for 95 per cent of the 339 bush fires so far this
year.
There were 182 such fires last month, compared to 24 in January
last year, a 'very alarming' situation, according to the Singapore
Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Unthinking actions, coupled with the dry season, have resulted
in a huge waste of firefighting resources, said the SCDF's director
of operations, Colonel Anwar Abdullah.
The remaining 5 per cent of bush fires are caused naturally -
when dry grass rub and trigger sparks, leading to spontaneous
combustion, or when they are hit by lightning.
How easy it is to put out a fire depends on the thickness of the
vegetation, the gradient of the land and how windy it is.
The more an area is covered in vegetation, the more deep-seated
is the fire, said Col Anwar.
If it is burning on a hill, that also makes it tougher for
firemen, as they have to haul water hoses up the slope, he said. It
could take an hour to bring under control a fire that has spread
over an area the size of two or three football fields.
The SCDF has drawn up a list of more than 15 'hot spots' for
bush fires. The 'hottest' areas encompass Punggol Way, Punggol
Field and Sengkang, and stretch along the Tampines Expressway near
Punggol Road. The expressway area near Punggol Way and Punggol
Field has been scorched 38 times.
Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits
TImes.