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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020
From Page One
“During the Southwest season,
atmospheric conditions are usually
relatively stable. Thunderstorms
decrease compared to during the
monsoon transitions in April and
May. The Southwest season will
usually continue until September.
During the peak of the season
which is around August, countries
in the Southeast Asia region will
usually experience haze due to the
dry weather.”
He said in preparation for the
dry season and the unpredicted
weather pattern, the department
requested the public to follow safe-
ty measures and be vigilant.
“The country usually experiences
hazy conditions during the peak of
the season due to the dry weather
which can cause frequent forest and
bush ires,” SSFR Noora lan said.
He said ire ighters face chal-
lenges in combatting forest ires,
especially peat forest ire which
takes a long time to extinguish.
SSFR Noora lan said it can also
affect the public’s safety and health
if the ire continues to spread.
“Operations to extinguish peat
forest ires require heavy equip-
ment and logistic. Fire ighters are
also exposed to health hazards
while they also sometimes encoun-
ter wild animals,” he said.
Izah Azahari
A ire burnt a portion of a car’s
engine in Kampong Madewa, Jalan
Tutong recently.
The vehicle’s driver, a local
man, exited it before the Fire
and Rescue Department (FRD)
personnel arrived. The loss is
under investigation.
Six personnel from the Bandar
Seri Begawan Fire Station were
dispatched to the location led by
SO Abdul Majid bin Haji Abdul
Wahab who extinguished the ire.
The FRD advised the public
to ensure that the vehicle’s
wiring is carried out by a certi ied
workshop mechanic.
The department also requested
the public to always have a dry
chemical powder ire extinguisher
in the car while cars over seven
years needed to be inspected at
certi ied workshops frequently.
The public can contact hotline
995 during an emergency.
Azlan Othman
Members of the public attending
Friday prayers are required to
wear a face mask, in addition
to bringing their own prayer
mats and scan the BruHealth QR
code when entering mosques
and suraus.
During the Friday sermon
yesterday,
Imams
reminded
congregants that failing to comply
with the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s
directives is an offence under the
Infectious Diseases Act (Chapter
204) which carries the penalty of
a ine of up to BND5,000.
Forest fires destroy over 500 hectares this year
SSFR Noora lan requested the
public to avoid open burning and also
extinguish small bush or forest ires.
Meanwhile, the department in
2019, responded to 13 calls over
search and rescue for people re-
ported lost while from January to
August 2020, it received 25 calls.
Meanwhile with regard to wild
animals, especially snakes, the
FRD received 2,459 calls in 2019
and 1,768 calls from January to
August 2020.
The public can contact the FRD
on 995 during an emergency.
It is also providing the Life Saver
995 Course and the Fire Marshall
Course for the public.
Hotspots in neighbouring countries are shown in this illustration provided by the ASEAN Specialised
Meteorological Centre (ASMC) in Singapore. PHOTOS: FRD
Senior Superintendent of Fire and
Rescue Nooralan bin Kachi
Vehicle gutted
in fire
Fire and Rescue Department personnel inspects the burnt vehicle.
PHOTO: FRD
Imams urge congregants to follow MoH guidelines
Wani Roslan
A two-storey house in Kampong
Perpindahan Lambak Kanan was
gutted by a ire yesterday.
Commanding Of icer of Op-
eration ‘C’ Branch Senior Superin-
tendent of Fire and Rescue (SSFR)
Pengiran Azizul Rahman bin Pengi-
ran Haji Yusop from Lambak Kanan
Fire Station alongside 12 ire ight-
ers and water tank support from
Beribi Fire Station rushed to the
scene after receiving a distress call
at 8.43am.
Upon their arrival, the ire had
burnt down part of the house
including a bedroom, dining
room, kitchen and store at the
ground level.
The ire ighters put out the
blaze in six minutes, and no
injuries were reported.
The house is owned by a
local with seven occupants, and
Fire damages Lambak Kanan house
an additional house is rented to
three Indonesians, the Fire and
Rescue Department (FRD) stated.
The cause of the ire and cost of
damage are being investigated.
In light of yesterday’s incident,
the FRD urged the public to
equip their residences with ire
extinguishers and ire blanket
and to ensure all electrical
appliances are switched off before
leaving houses.
The FRD also cautioned
against leaving food on the stove
unattended. In case of a gas leak,
the public is reminded to open
windows and doors for ventilation.
The public is also reminded to
make sure all wirings are in good
condition and all inspections
are conducted by companies
accredited by the Department
of Electrical Services and not to
use electrical equipment that can
cause overload.
Members of the public can
contact 995 for emergencies.
Part of the house destroyed by
ire. PHOTO: FRD
Those refusing to comply with
the issued orders are also liable
to prosecution and ines up to
BND10,000 or jail for a term of up
to six months, or both.
“The public is advised to
always comply with the directives
issued by the MoH and other
government agencies, to control
the spread of the pandemic
in the country,” said Imams in
the sermon.
“Cleanliness starts at home.
Therefore, parents and guardians
should guide and educate children
on the aspects of hygiene.
Be a family that cares about
cleanliness, which will eventually
result in a community that
prioritises cleanliness.
“Together, let us maintain and
cultivate the habit of cleanliness
in our daily life whether in public
or private, as well as spiritual
hygiene. Hopefully, by observing
cleanliness in our lives, Brunei
Darussalam will be a beautiful
country, clean and free from any
disease and harm.
“Let us pray together to
Allah the Almighty that we may
be counted among those who
constantly repent and purify
themselves. May we be among
the righteous who always do
good deeds.”