Overnight dumpsite blaze spreads to fibre storage area with 10ft-high buoy blocks

PASIR GUDANG: Firefighters are still battling a blaze at a rubbish disposal site along Jalan Muhibbah, Kampung Pasir Putih, here, after it spread to a nearby fibre storage area containing buoy blocks stacked up to 10 feet high last night.

The fire broke out at 10.04pm, prompting an emergency response from the Pasir Gudang and Johor Jaya fire and rescue stations.

Operation commander Mohd Zuhdieyusni Said said firefighters arrived at 10.11pm, seven minutes after receiving the emergency call, and found rubbish burning in an open area.

By 3.17am today, the fire had spread beyond the initial rubbish-filled area to the adjoining fibre storage area, with the affected area estimated at 46.5 square metres.

The operation involves 18 firefighters and has been complicated by the lack of a nearby water supply. Firefighters have had to use seawater and make repeated trips to a fire hydrant about 3.5km away to refill their appliances.

At 5.33am, the operation was divided into two fronts to intensify firefighting efforts.

Zuhdieyusni said the Johor Jaya team tackled the front section using a 400-foot hose line with two jets supplied by a portable pump drawing seawater from a nearby source.

The Pasir Gudang team adopted the same arrangement at the rear, deploying another 400-foot hose line and two jets supplied with seawater.

Footage of the blaze went viral, with residents livestreaming updates from the scene on TikTok.

No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The operation was still ongoing at press time.