Explained: Why there may be a burning smell on the night of Jan 26 and the next few days

If you've noticed a burnt smell in the air on Monday (Jan 26) night and are wondering if its the haze at work, here's why. 

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore's (MSS) regional haze map, two hotspots were detected — in Pengerang and in Punggai. 

While the hotspot in Pengerang may be due to heat generated by the Pengerang power station, a fire was reported in Punggai, about 26km away from the eastern tip of Changi Airport. 

Punggai Fire and Rescue Station chief Ezam Mistorerrodin said they were alerted to peat soil fires in the Punggai area at about 11am on Monday, adding that the fire had spread from 5.26ha to 12.14ha due to dry weather. 

According to Ezam, firefighting could not be conducted at one of two sectors due to its distance from water sources and limited water supply. 

Malaysian media outlet New Straits Times reported Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin as saying that the Johor Fire and Rescue Department has requested aerial firefighting assistance, with a helicopter expected to arrive on Tuesday. 

He told news agency Bernama that the fire produced thick smoke which spread to nearby residential areas, while dry weather, strong winds, peat soil conditions and poor road access have hampered ground firefighting efforts. 

Hotspots continue to be observed in Johor: NEA 

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that hotspots continue to be observed north of Singapore due to vegetation fires, adding that they are monitoring the situation closely. 

"While a burning smell may be noticeable, it does not always result in a significant change to air quality readings," the agency said.

Checks on the NEA's PM2.5 resource page indicate that readings at 9pm were between 11 to 27, with the eastern part of Singapore recording the highest reading of 27 — still within the normal band. 

Meanwhile, the 24-hour PSI as at 10pm ranged from 43 to 56, in the good to moderate range.

Apart from the proximity of the ongoing fire, winds play a part too. 

According to MSS' wind observations at 9.27pm, prevailing winds were blowing from the north and north-east at a speed of 10kmh. 

This may have brought some of the smoke over. 

Given that an earlier fire in the vicinity on Jan 18 — involving a 2.83ha plantation — reportedly took four days to extinguish, residents in Singapore may still experience the burnt smell until the fire can be put out. 

So, no more guesses now. 

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editor@asiaone.com