Forest fire ravages 86ha of jungle in Sabah

Plumes of smoke billow high up into the sky as a result of the forest fire.

KOTA KINABALU: A major forest fire that broke out at Sabah's interior Kuala Penyu district has razed some 86ha of jungle.

Efforts to completely put out the blaze, which occurred at about 2pm on Wednesday (Jan 31) near Kampung Purun Ulu, were still underway.

Kuala Penyu Fire and Rescue chief Nelson Panji said they were alerted of the incident at 2.16pm.

He said two fire engines were rushed to the scene some 20km away from the station.

"At the location, we assessed that the fire had affected some 86ha of forest land," he said in a statement.

"Efforts to control the fire are ongoing, assisted by a drone unit tasked with monitoring its spread," Nelson said.