Bushfires blaze across Singapore

Source: Agencies | February 19, 2009, Thursday |

Print Edition

ISLAND-STATE Singapore faced the largest number of bushfires in nearly a decade in January, due to an unusually long dry spell, the government's anti-fire agency said yesterday.

The tropical nation saw 182 vegetation fires last month, mostly due to the dry spell, which the Singapore Civil Defense Force said was "unprecedented."

"The January figures of 182 wildfires responded is the most number of incidents attended to by the force in almost a decade," Lieutenant Colonel N. Subhas said in an e-mail reply to Reuters.

There have already been at least 110 fires in the first 16 days of February, Subhas said.

The agency urged the public to avoid dumping rubbish and materials on vacant lands to prevent fires.

Singapore's pollutants standards index reached its year high on Sunday. The weather agency blamed it on the record number of bushfires, dry weather and weak winds that failed to blow the smoke particles away, the Straits Times newspaper said.

Singapore's climate is divided into two main seasons - the December-March northeast monsoon and the June-September southwest monsoon, in which February is supposed to be the driest month.

World

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

Bushfires blaze across Singapore

Email this to your friend