Environment Minister Issues Circular Following Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire
The Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has requested local governments to strengthen fire mitigation at landfill sites following a fire at the Jatiwaringin landfill in Tangerang Regency. The Minister of Environment/Head of BPLH, Moh Jumhur Hidayat, has issued Circular Letter Number 11 of 2026 regarding Preparedness and Anticipation of Landfill Fires during Extreme Heat Conditions as a guideline for local authorities.
The fire at the Jatiwaringin landfill broke out on Tuesday (30/06) at 07:30 WIB, and firefighting efforts continued through Thursday (02/07). The Tangerang Regency Government has declared a disaster emergency status via Tangerang Regent Decree Number 609 of 2026.
“The KLH/BPLH has deployed technical teams to conduct field verification, oversee the mitigation process, and ensure that handling proceeds according to safety protocols,” the KLH stated in an official release on Thursday (02/07).
Under the direction of the Minister of Environment, deputies from the fields of Environmental Law Enforcement, Pollution and Environmental Damage Control, and Waste, Hazardous, and Toxic Substance Management also inspected the site to strengthen coordination with the Banten Provincial Government, Tangerang Regency Government, BNPB, the Ministry of Forestry, TNI, Polri, and other relevant agencies.
The KLH explained that firefighting is being conducted via land by the Tangerang Regency Government and via air using BNPB helicopter water bombing. Efforts to implement cloud seeding have been attempted but could not be executed as cloud conditions did not meet the necessary technical requirements.
The firefighting operation has been bolstered by 30 personnel from the Ministry of Forestry’s Manggala Agni team, comprising 1s personnel from the West Java Fire Section and 20 personnel from South Sulawesi, equipped with injection tools.
Meanwhile, 32 heads of households have been evacuated to safer locations. Medical teams have been deployed to provide healthcare services and distribute masks to affected residents. The KLH/BPLH also provided 100 sets of dust and smoke masks to the Tangerang Regency Government.
Air quality monitoring around the site shows PM2.5 concentrations are in the hazardous category, with values exceeding 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre. Consequently, access to several areas has been restricted for public safety.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was triggered by extreme heat, which caused hotspots to emerge within the waste piles and subsequently spread. The high volume of waste, reaching heights of 20 to 30 metres, means that firefighting at the Jatiwaringin landfill requires specialised handling. The exact cause of the fire will be investigated by the Ministry of Environment once the emergency situation is under control.
Minister of Environment Moh Jumhur Hidayat reminded entrepreneurs not to be greedy and not to sacrifice environmental sustainability for the sake of profit. He emphasised that the government has no plans to close landfills, but rather to completely end open dumping practices. The Minister also called for an ‘ecological repentance’ and encouraged the public to sort waste at the household level through the ‘Indonesia Asri’ movement.