Waste Fires: Silent Threat That Pushes JBPM To The Limit

Barnama

18-05-2025

By Muhammad Afiq Mohd Asri
KOTA BHARU, May 18 (Bernama) -- Waste fires should not be viewed as ordinary fire incidents as they pose health hazards and can even cost lives, making fire suppression efforts particularly demanding for the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).
Such fires often smoulder underneath piles of tyres and discarded plastics, producing thick smoke that remains a persistent threat to emergency responders and nearby residents.
When toxic waste is involved, the dangers multiply as the resulting smoke can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and long-term health effects.
Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan described waste fires as a systemic issue involving various types of waste, each managed by different agencies, such as the Department of Environment, Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation and local authorities.
'The four main categories are sewage, solid waste (domestic and scheduled waste), radioactive waste and chemical waste. JBPM steps in when a fire breaks out and lives are at risk, but before and after that, other agencies must play their role,' he told Bernama recently.
Under the National Security Council Directive No. 20, JBPM is the lead agency for handling disasters involving chemical, radiological, nuclear, and hazardous materials, while AELB provides technical expertise for radiological and nuclear emergencies.
Farhan Sufyan said that according to Kelantan JBPM statistics, 207 out of 1,827 open burning cases recorded last year involved waste collection sites, which pose significant risks when unfiltered waste is allowed to accumulate.
'We're talking about smouldering fire or slow-burning fires under piles of rubbish. These are not easily visible but can spread without warning, and that's the real danger,' he said.