24-Hour Patrols Intensified at Burangkeng Landfill to Prevent Fires

The Burangkeng Landfill Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) in Bekasi Regency, West Java, is strengthening measures to prevent fires during the dry season by intensifying day and night patrols. The initiative involves preparing firefighting equipment and tightening preventive efforts across the 14-hectare waste disposal site.

UPTD Burangkeng Head Samsuro Mandiansyah stated that the enhanced monitoring system is a preventive step following fires at several other landfills across Indonesia. “We received warnings from other landfills in Indonesia that experienced fires, such as in Tangerang and Depok. From there, we have undertaken various efforts to minimise the potential for fires at the Burangkeng landfill,” he said on Wednesday. He added that the unit is also educating waste pickers and the surrounding community, putting up no-smoking signs, prohibiting open burning of rubbish, and urging immediate reporting of any sparks.

According to Samsuro, the monitoring system operates in shifts around the clock. During the day, seven personnel are assigned to patrol vulnerable points every hour, while another seven personnel are on duty at night. To ensure rapid response, the unit has prepared two water tanker trucks, two portable pumps, and is coordinating with the local fire and rescue service. An excavator is also on standby to help open access and smother fires with cover material to prevent them from spreading.

In addition to surveillance and personnel readiness, the landfill management is continuing to organise disposal zones through a sanitary landfill system and terracing. This aims to reduce the risk of hotspots that could trigger fires, especially given the current extreme dry season. Samsuro called on all parties, including the surrounding community and waste pickers, to comply with the established regulations to maintain the safety of the Burangkeng landfill area.