Ciniru Landfill Fire: Strong Winds Hinder Firefighting Efforts in Kuningan

The Ciniru Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Kuningan Regency caught fire on Wednesday, with strong winds causing the blaze to spread rapidly. The fire broke out at the landfill, located in Ciniru Village, Jalaksana District, at around 5 a.m. local time. “The incident occurred around five in the morning,” said Indra Bayu Permana, Head of the Kuningan Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). Strong gusts of wind sent thick smoke billowing high into the air and caused the fire to quickly grow and spread to other waste mounds.

A joint team comprising the Fire Department, BPBD, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police, and other relevant agencies was deployed to extinguish the fire. Personnel were seen spraying water onto several burning piles of rubbish in an effort to douse the flames and prevent them from spreading to other parts of the landfill.

Meanwhile, Usep Sumirat, Head of the Kuningan Regency Environmental Agency, explained that extinguishing the fire at the Ciniru TPA was proving quite difficult. “Aside from the strong winds, the terrain is also dangerous. Officers are struggling to put out the fire because of the thick smoke blanketing the TPA,” Usep said.

The impact of the landfill fire was not only felt by the officers fighting the blaze but also disrupted waste disposal activities for vehicles attempting to enter the site. As of the time of reporting, there were no casualties, but thick smoke remained and had the potential to disrupt the activities of residents in the surrounding area. The cause of the fire remains unclear.