S'poreans report 'burning smell' at night, NEA says there's smoke haze from Johor hotspots

Smoke haze from hotspots in eastern Johor could continue to affect Singapore under prevailing north-easterly winds, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on the night of Mar. 25.

This comes as firefighters in Johor continued battling multiple large fires in the Pengerang area.

Meanwhile, Singaporeans across the island reported a persistent "burning smell" over the past few days, particularly in the mornings and at night.

NEA update

In a Facebook update posted on Mar. 25, NEA said the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in Singapore remained within the Good to Moderate range as of 8pm.

This corresponds to a PSI value of between 39 and 65.

Satellite imagery shared by the agency showed a cluster of hotspots concentrated in eastern Johor, including areas facing Singapore’s north-eastern coastline.

Independent checks by Mothership on Google Maps’ crisis alerts also showed at least three active “severe fire” alerts in Johor on the morning of Mar. 26.

Two alerts were located near Bandar Penawar and Pengerang, while another was detected near Tanjung Sedili, further north along Johor’s eastern coast.

Residents report burning smell across Singapore

Even as PSI readings remained within moderate levels, some residents across Singapore reported a strong "burning smell".

Several described the odour as particularly noticeable at night and into the morning.

Residents in north-east and east Singapore, such as in Punggol, Pasir Ris, and Tampines, were among those who said the odour was especially strong.

Some said they had to shut their windows overnight because of the smell.

Similar complaints were also posted by people in Tiong Bahru, Clementi, and Dover, suggesting that the smell had spread beyond the eastern parts of the island.

Some added that the burning smell had persisted for several nights and was accompanied by sore throats, sneezing or irritated sinuses.

Others observed that park connectors appeared less crowded at night, as fewer people were out running or cycling.

Johor firefighters battling multiple fires

Johor authorities have been dealing with ongoing fires in the Kota Tinggi district in Johor over the past few days.

In some parts of Johor, fires have spread across forest and scrubland, producing thick smoke.

One road was closed by police due to reduced visibility, according to The Star.

A senior fire officer attributed the rapid spread to hot and dry weather, coupled with strong winds.

Malaysia's fire and rescue department has urged the public to stop all open burning activities immediately, warning that dry weather has significantly increased fire risks.

Open fire cases nationwide have risen sharply since mid-March, with Johor recording the second-highest number of cases in the country so far this year, it said.

Top images via NEASingapore/Facebook, bombajdt/Facebook