BNPB: 30 Percent of Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire Area Under Control

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported that around 30 percent of the fire area at the Jatiwaringin Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Mauk, Tangerang Regency, Banten, has been extinguished and brought under control as of Friday (3/7). BNPB Director of Emergency Operations Control Coordination, Brigadier General TNI Djohan Darmawan, stated in Tangerang on Friday that entering the fourth day of emergency control operations at the Jatiwaringin TPA, the optimisation of two water-bombing helicopter fleets is still being carried out to accelerate the extinguishing process. “For now, we can see that in the morning the wind is not too strong. Our personnel are working at maximum capacity from morning, afternoon, and night,” he explained. To maximise fire control, the authorities have also deployed 18 fire engines to comb through hotspots that have not yet been reached by the water bombers. Despite 30 percent of the burnt area being successfully extinguished, field officers are still hampered by fairly strong wind conditions, which remain the main challenge in controlling the fire. To accelerate the handling, he said, 30 Manggala Agni personnel from the Ministry of Forestry will be involved in the acceleration efforts by applying an injection method. “So this injection system will involve creating a pipe. The pipe will be perforated, and the Manggala Agni personnel, who are accustomed to doing this, will handle it. They might start the action this afternoon,” he revealed. Two BNPB water-bombing helicopters have been redeployed to douse hotspots that are difficult to reach from the ground. In addition to extinguishing efforts, heavy equipment such as excavators is being operated to break up piles of waste that have been soaked. This step aims to open access to hotspots located deep within the waste mounds, while also preventing embers from reigniting. Furthermore, road access from the Jatiwaringin TPA area towards Sukadiri District is now being restricted, only allowing passage for operational vehicles belonging to the fire brigade, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, medical officers, and relevant agencies involved in handling the fire.