233Forest Fire Protection

Forest Fire Protection

Protecting approximately 3.6 million hectares of Sabah’s Forest Reserves from catastrophic forest fire events is

always a major concern of the SFD. The Department continues strengthening its forest fire prevention system and suppression strategy. These include providing training on forest fire prevention and suppression to enhance skill and knowledge of Fire Crews, maintaining Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) and strengthening forest fire early detection measures through forest fire surveillance and hotspots monitoring. In 2015, Sabah experienced a long dry period throughout the year, and all of SFD’s fire crews in the twenty seven (27) forestry districts or stations (Chart 18.1) were placed on high alert and deployed to protect forest areas from fire. Forest fire prevention and control measures were also intensified throughout the year. Besides that, SFD’s fire crews have successfully conducted coordinated forest fire suppression operations in the fire-affected areas including in the hotspots detected areas.

Forest Fire Prevention and ControlThe SFD recognized that forest fire prevention and control is crucial in forest fire management. Therefore, one of the department’s priorities is to ensure that its forest fire prevention and control systems are reliable and functioning effectively. These include weather observation, the SFD’s Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) and fire monitoring.

(a) Fire Prevention

i. Weather ObservationAll District Forestry Officers (DFOs) continuously collected weather data daily, i.e. rainfall, temperature, humidity and wind speed. The lowest recorded average annual temperature in the year 2015 was in January to February and October to November (Chart 18.2). The highest annual average temperature recorded was 33.3°C that was at Semporna

Crew in Kudat Region (4 Stations)

Kudat

Pitas

Kota Marudu

Kota Belud

Keningau

Sook

Tambunan

Nabawan

Tenom

Tibow

Kota Kinabalu

Beaufort

Sipitang

Ranau

Tawau

Lahad Datu

Semporna

Kalabakan

Serudong

Ulu Segama Malua

Kunak

Sandakan

Telupid

Beluran

Deramakot

Kinabatangan

Tongod

Crew in Keningau Region (6 Stations)

Crew in Kota Kinabalu Region (4 Stations)

Crew in Tawau Region (7 Stations)

Crew in Sandakan Region (6 Stations)

Sabah Forest Fire Crew

Chart 18.1: Sabah Forestry Department’s Fire Crew

28.9229.28

30.24

30.831.1 31.0

30.730.5 30.6

29.7

28.1

30.0

26.5

27

27.5

28

28.5

29

29.5

30

30.5

31

31.5

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Average  Annual  Tem

perature  (Cº)

Month

Chart 18.2: Average annual temperature recorded in 2015.

Sabah Forestry Department

234 Annual Report 2015

(Chart 18.3). Other forestry districts recorded high annual average temperature were Kalabakan (32.7°C), Pitas (32.5°C), Kota Marudu (32.5°C), and Keningau (32.1°C). The lowest annual average temperature recorded was at Tambunan (22.7°C). The average monthly rainfall recorded in 2015 for all district forestry offices is shown in Chart 18.4. Generally, most areas in Sabah experienced hot and dry conditions throughout the year, especially Kudat, Keningau and the West Coast Regions. March, April and December were recorded as the driest months in the year 2015. The highest rainfall recorded was in Tibow (3,035 mm) and Sandakan (2,886 mm).

ii. SFD’s FDRSThe Department continuously used its FDRS as a tool in forest fire prevention and control measures. The system produced Fire Weather Indexes (FWI) for measuring a condition of forest fire hazard throughout the State. This is crucial as levels of the FWI will determine the level of fire preparedness and fire management action (Table 18.1). The FWI

31.229.3

31.131.629.229.7

32.7

28.6

33.331.1

29.030.6

22.7

27.4

32.1

28.431.0

32.529.428.6

30.628.5

31.429.9

32.530.130.2

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

Average  Temperature  (o

C)

Forestry  District

Chart 18.3: Average annual temperature for each forestry district in 2015.

Chart 18.4: Average monthly rainfall recorded in 2015.

155.6

122.12108.96 106.5

138.5125.2 123.4

135.5 135.5 134.3 135.6

100.0

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

Average  Monthly  Rainfall  (mm)

Month

LevelFire Management Action Required

Early Warning InformationPrevention Detection Suppression

Low Ensure that fire danger road signs are set on a daily basis.

• Hunting activity in different areas.

• Potential for fires to start.

• Potential for fires to spread and damage forest.

• Resource available for detection.

• Resources available for suppression.

Medium Weekly notification to wildlife department

• Observations at fire towers and observation sites in afternoon

• Monitoring of Hotspots• Patrols in some areas

• Weekly equipment check

High • Daily notification to wildlife department

• Daily notification to village head

• Observations at fire towers and observation site all day

• Monitoring of Hotspots• Extensive patrols

• Notify adjacent forestry districts of possible request for assistance

• Daily equipment check

Extreme • Daily media notification

• Hunting restrictions

• Aerial surveillance• Extensive patrols• Monitoring of Hotspots

• Request suppression resources from adjacent forestry districts

• Notify Fire & Rescue Department of possible request for assistant

Table 18.1: Forest Fire Management Preparedness

235

www.forest.sabah.gov.my

Forest Fire Protection

will be updated daily using the weather data submitted by the District Forestry Officers (DFOs). Based on the calculated FWI, it showed that the fire hazard level throughout the year was generally high and to some extent, extreme. (b) Forest Fire Early DetectionForest fires usually occur in remote areas, so that their detection at an early stage and timely reporting by the respective DFOs are of extreme importance in reducing the damage of fire-affected areas to the lowest possible level. Early forest fire detection increases the efficiency and effectiveness of fire suppression operations as the fires can easily be put out when they are small. Therefore, the Department has put more emphasis on forest fire early detection through strengthening ground and air surveillance of its fire crews and monitoring of hotspots.

i. Ground and Air SurveillanceGround surveillance conducted by SFD’s fire crews for forest fire early detection include observations using fire towers and observation sites. Intensification of the surveillance depends on level of the FWI (Table 18.1). In the case of high and extreme FWI as of this year, ground surveillance was intensified and supported by air surveillance.

ii. Monitoring of HotspotsThe SFD monitors NASA hotspots daily as one of the measures in monitoring forest fires occurrences throughout the state. Such monitoring provides a more advanced approach in forest fire early detection as it provides locations of the hotspots. In 2015, 233 hotspots were detected and the SFD fire crews had been deployed to put out the fires (Map 18.1).

Forest Fire Prevention and Suppression TrainingThe training is provided in-house by qualified Sabah Forestry Department’s (SFD) instructors, and it is conducted on a regular basis throughout the year. The SFD has always been committed to train our fire crews as well as workers of the licensees to enhance their knowledge and skills in all aspects of forest fire prevention and suppression. In 2015, the department has conducted five trainings on forest fire prevention and suppression involving 176 participants of the SFD’s and the licensee’s personnel (Table 18.2). The training includes lectures and practical training:-

(a) Lectures are focused on the following subjects: • Background of forest fire.• Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS).• Forest fire terminology.• Forest fire types and inflammation rank.• Fire behavior and the influencing factors.• Basic fire protection and suppression.• Fire break construction.• Patrolling, cold trailing and mopping.• Water delivery system.• Forest fire fighting equipment types and their uses.• Safety in fire fighting operation.

(b) Practical • The trainees will be trained in planning forest fire prevention

and suppression strategy, handling forest fire equipment, constructing fire break/fire guard, delivering water, fighting fire, and conducting cold trailing and mopping up operations.

Map 18.1: Major Hotspots Detected in Sabah by NASA in 2015

Sabah Forestry Department

236 Annual Report 2015

Table 18.2: Forest Fire Prevention and Suppression Training in 2015No Date Venue Participant1 11 - 12

March 2015Ladang Boonrich Sdn Bhd (BSB), Lahad Datu

10 SFD personnel.21 BSB personnel.

2 05 - 06 May 2015

Indah Serimas Sdn Bhd (ISSB) Base Camp, Sook

30 ISSB personnel

3 07 - 08 May 2015

Sapulut Forest Development Sdn Bhd (SFDSB) Base Camp, Tibow

49 SFDSB personnel

4 17 – 20 August 2015

Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) Complex, Sipitang

49 SFI personnel

5 20 – 23 Oct 2015

Danum Valley Field Centre, Lahad Datu

19 Sabah Foundation personnel

Forest Fire Training conducted at Boonrich Plantation Sdn Bhd, Lahad Datu – Briefing on the use of firefighting equipment.

(Left) Forest Fire Training at Sapulut Forest Development Sdn. Bhd. and (right) hands on training of constructing a Fire Guard.

(Left) Participants of Forest Fire Training and (right) practical training on delivering water at Danum Valley Field Centre.

(Left) Forest Fire Training conducted and (right) practical training on delivering water at SFI, Sipitang.

237

www.forest.sabah.gov.my

Forest Fire Protection

Forest Fire Occurrences and StatisticsAs Sabah experienced long dry periods throughout the year, there were a few cases of forest fires that occurred throughout the State (Table 18.3 and Map 18.2). It was identified that the fires were directly caused by human activities such as open burning related to slash-and-burn method of land preparation for cultivation, arson and illegal hunting. The trend of forest fire incidents over five years from 2011 to 2015 is shown in Chart18.5. The forest areas affected by fires in 2015 were slightly increased to approximately 706 ha compared to 649 ha in 2014.

Table 18.3: Forest Reserve affected by fires in 2015.

Chart 18.5: Trend of Forest Fire Incidents (2011 – 2015).s

No. Forest Reserve Area Burned (ha) Cause

1 HS Ulu Kukut 19.5 Adjacent land preparation used slash-and-burn practice

2 Bukit Taviu 0.11 Arson3 Binsuluk 70 Adjacent land preparation used slash-

and-burn practice4 Padas Damit 83 Adjacent land preparation used slash-

and-burn practice5 Sipitang (SFI ITP

Area)10 Arson

6 Milian Labau VJR 72 C

9 Arson

7 Bengkoka 450 Arson8 Trusan Sugut 10 Fishing activity9 Sg. Pinangah 43 Adjacent land preparation used slash-

and-burn practice and Illegal Hunting10 Madai Baturong 1.12 Adjacent land preparation used slash-

and-burn practice11 Brantian Tatulit 10.17 Arson

Total 706

392

12

649 706

0100200300400500600700800

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Area  Burned  (ha)

Year

Map 18.2: Forest Fires Occurrences in 2015