Cigarette Butt Suspected as Cause of Fire at Jember's Pakusari Landfill, Flames Spread Amid Strong Winds

A fire struck the Pakusari Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Jember Regency, East Java, on Saturday, 4 July 2026. The incident is suspected to have been triggered by a cigarette butt that was not fully extinguished, eventually igniting the waste disposal area and spreading due to strong winds.

Pakusari TPA officer Mohammad Holik said the fire occurred in the waste disposal area and was immediately handled by on-site personnel. "A land fire has occurred in the Pakusari TPA waste disposal area," Holik stated.

Upon discovering the flames, TPA officers promptly undertook firefighting efforts to prevent the blaze from spreading further. Swift action was taken because the fire location was not far from a residential area. According to Holik, officers also immediately requested assistance from the Fire Department (Damkar) to accelerate the extinguishing process. "We also contacted the Fire Department so they could help extinguish the fire, which continued to spread due to strong winds and the dry season," he said.

The dry weather conditions and gusts of wind around the site caused the fire to quickly spread to piles of rubbish and land areas at the Pakusari TPA.

The Head of the Jember Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Edy Budi Susilo, said his office received a report about the fire and immediately deployed personnel to the location. Based on initial handling assessments, the burned land area is estimated to have reached around 500 square metres. "The land fire at the Pakusari TPA is estimated at around 500 square metres," Edy said.

He explained that the preliminary suspicion is that the fire originated from a cigarette butt that was not completely extinguished. The situation was worsened by strong winds blowing in the TPA area during the dry season. "The fire is suspected to have been caused by a cigarette butt that was not fully extinguished and was triggered by strong winds around the site during the dry season," he stated. According to Edy, the fairly strong gusts of wind caused the fire to grow larger and spread quickly to the waste disposal area.