Pasir Gudang landfill fire rages into early morning

A massive fire broke out at a landfill at Jalan Muhibbah in Kampung Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, Johor, last night with the flames continuing to rage into the early hours of this morning.

The Johor fire and rescue department confirmed receiving an emergency call regarding the fire at 10.04pm, Berita Harian reported.

“The fire involved a 0.0232ha area of the landfill,” the department said in a statement.

Firefighting operations were hampered by a lack of nearby water supply. Seawater was also used to help extinguish the blaze.

“This situation forced firefighters to travel back and forth to a hydrant located approximately 3.5km from the scene just to refill the fire engines’ water tanks,” the department said.

At 5.33am, firefighting operations were divided into two sectors to speed up efforts to contain the blaze. The Johor Jaya and Pasir Gudang stations each deployed 400-foot hose lines and two jets powered by portable pumps drawing seawater.

No injuries or casualties have been reported so far. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.