Strong Winds Fuel Forest Fire Near Puncak Alam School, Prompting Class Suspensions
KUALA SELANGOR: Strong winds are believed to have accelerated the spread of a forest fire that broke out near a residential area in Bandar Puncak Alam on Monday, sending thick smoke towards nearby schools and forcing the suspension of afternoon classes as firefighters battled the blaze.
The fire is believed to have started near a hillside adjacent to Jalan Gugusan Alam 7/20 in Phase 2 before rapidly spreading uphill towards the vicinity of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Puncak Alam 2, eventually reaching areas close to the school’s field and canteen block.
Residents said gusty winds significantly worsened the situation, allowing flames to move quickly across dry vegetation despite relatively cloudy weather.
Ahmad Sharifudzan Mad Shaarani, chairman of the Safety and Health Committee for the Phase 2 Residents’ Neighbourhood Watch, said the incident began at about 10am when residents noticed flames emerging near the housing area.
According to him, several residents immediately attempted to contain the fire while emergency services were alerted.
However, the strong winds caused the flames to spread rapidly up the hillside before advancing towards the school compound.
He said thick smoke and airborne ash soon blanketed both SK Puncak Alam 2 and the neighbouring Sekolah Rendah Agama (SRA) Puncak Alam while students were attending classes.
As conditions deteriorated, additional firefighting resources were deployed after the initial response proved insufficient to contain the rapidly expanding blaze.
Fire and Rescue Department personnel positioned fire engines at both the residential area and the school grounds to attack the fire from multiple directions.
The operation continued throughout the afternoon before firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze.
Earlier, authorities announced the cancellation of afternoon classes at SK Puncak Alam 2 after smoke from the forest fire disrupted learning during the morning session.
The afternoon session at SRA Puncak Alam was also suspended as a precaution to minimise students’ and teachers’ exposure to heavy smoke and airborne debris.
Assistant Director of Operations for the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department, Ashrul Rieza Asbar, said approximately 4.4 hectares of land were affected by the fire.
He said a total of 13 firefighters, supported by three Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicles from the Bestari Jaya and Bukit Jelutong Fire and Rescue Stations, together with members of the Saujana Utama Volunteer Fire Brigade, participated in the operation.
According to Ashrul, firefighters divided responsibilities across several sectors, with teams tackling separate fire fronts near the hillside, residential neighbourhood and school grounds to prevent further spread.
Following successful containment of the blaze, personnel carried out extensive inspections across the affected area to eliminate remaining hotspots and reduce the risk of reignition.
The department received the emergency call at 10.06am, with the first response team arriving shortly afterwards.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control at about 1.30pm before concluding operations completely at around 3pm.
Authorities have not reported any injuries, while investigations into the cause of the fire are expected to continue.
