BNPB Employs Injection Method to Accelerate Fire Suppression at Jatiwaringin Landfill
Tangerang Regency (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has implemented an injection method, which involves injecting water directly into fire hotspots beneath the surface, at the Jatiwaringin landfill in Mauk, Tangerang Regency, Banten, on Friday (3/7).
Djohan Darmawan, Director of Emergency Operations Coordination at BNPB, stated in Tangerang that the implementation of this injection method is an effort to accelerate the emergency response to the landfill fire, which has been ongoing for four days.
“Regarding this injection system, we have communicated to the Head of the Fire Department to create pipes to be used at the existing fire hotspots within the Jativerwaringin landfill,” he explained.
He revealed that the water injection process will be carried out directly by joint personnel, including the Fire Department and Manggala Agni from the Ministry of Forestry, with 30 personnel currently deployed.
“This includes Manggala Agni, who are experienced in using this method. God willing, the action began this afternoon,” he said.
In addition to accelerating the firefighting efforts, water spraying from the air is being optimised using water-bombing helicopters. Currently, two MI-8AMT helicopters are being operated using 4,000-litre capacity buckets to extinguish the fire at the Jatiwaringin landfill.
“At the moment, we can see that the wind is not too strong in the morning. Our officers are maximising their work from morning through to night,” he added.
Furthermore, 18 fire engine units continue to be deployed to scan fire hotspots that have not yet been reached by the water-bombing units.
“On the fourth day, we have brought in two water-bombing helicopters, as well as 18 fire engines,” he added.
On the other hand, Djohan mentioned that based on current inspections, approximately 30 per cent of the burnt area at the Jatiwaringin landfill has begun to subside and is under control.
Meanwhile, based on monitoring at the location on Friday afternoon around 16:24 WIB, joint personnel from the Fire Department, Ministry of Forestry, and the TNI/Polri (Military/Police) are still struggling to extinguish the remaining fire, specifically on the northern side of the Jatiwaringin landfill.
However, observations by ANTARA showed plumes of smoke and fire hotspots still burning within several mounds of waste. Two water-bombing helicopters belonging to the BNPB are also performing water drops on fire points that are difficult to reach from the ground.
In addition to firefighting, heavy equipment such as excavators is being operated to break up the mounds of waste that have been moistened through the water injection scheme.
Meanwhile, access roads to the Jatiwaringin landfill area are still strictly guarded by officers to limit traffic from outside the area. Officers only permit operational fire engines, medical personnel, and relevant agencies involved in the fire response to enter.