KUANTAN: Additional firefighters and assets will be deployed to battle the series of wildfires near the Kuantan-Sungai Ular bypass, which have been raging for nearly two weeks.

The flames, which have already devastated a 130ha coconut plantation, spread to a 7.5ha forest area yesterday.

To make matters worse, there are no access routes to the burning site.

Some 70 firefighters from 11 stations across three districts namely Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin along with multiple assets including an MI-17 helicopter have been deployed to carry out aerial firefighting at both locations.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said aerial surveillance by the department's air unit led to the discovery of thick white smoke billowing from a new fire spot in the forest area early yesterday.

"There are no roads to reach the new fire site so we have deployed 30 firemen along with water pump and fire hose to the sites. The Mi-17 helicopter was used to send the manpower and assets to the site...we needed to control the fire to prevent the flames from spreading further.

"The department will increase manpower between 20 and 30 personnel including assets. Deploying more men on the ground will not overstrain the existing personnel and we can cover both areas (coconut farm and forest area) simultaneously.

"The fire at the coconut farm has been brought under control by applying the direct attack (extinguishing) technique where water is aimed directly at the burning flames but the soil burning beneath the surface remains a concern," he told reporters when met at the coconut farm here yesterday.

Razam said the department has assigned and stationed firefighters at all the hotspots in both locations to immediately respond in case of any signs of fresh fires, while also keeping the existing flames under control.

"We have thermal drones equipped with infrared imaging capabilities to provide aerial surveillance and valuable insights into the exact fire location. Based on the images captured by the drones, we will assign our men via walkie-talkies to inspect the respective site and provide updates on the situation on the ground.

"As I mentioned earlier, we hope to bring the fire under control and completely douse the flames this week. We are now focusing on the forest area to ensure the fire does not spread further or pose a threat to housing settlements in Balok near here," he said.

Razam had earlier accompanied Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to visit the coconut plantation that caught fire on Feb 22.