Fire at Jatiwaringin Landfill in Tangerang Spreads to Over Two Hectares

The Environmental and Hygiene Agency (DLHK) of Tangerang Regency, Banten, has stated that the area of land burnt at the Jatiwaringin Landfill in Mauk District on Tuesday has reached more than two hectares.

"In total, it could be more than two hectares in area. The fire started from a small hotspot on the western side this morning, and was then handled by our internal officers," said Head of DLHK Kabupaten Tangerang Ujat Sudrajat in Tangerang on Tuesday.

He said the initial suspicion is that the fire started in the morning when landfill officers saw smoke emerging from the northern side of the waste disposal site.

According to him, the fire was worsened by extreme weather conditions, with high temperatures from the sun and strong winds triggering the wider spread of the flames.

He stated that the emergency situation is still ongoing. Joint officers from the DLHK and the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) are struggling to extinguish the fire due to limited water supply and the persistently strong winds.

"But during the handling, there was a strong wind, a gust, which caused some dry rubbish to fly up. That’s how it started," he said.

In addition, Ujat said that to ensure the safety of the officers’ activities and the surrounding environment during the Jatiwaringin landfill fire, his party has also deployed a medical team from the Mauk District Community Health Centre (Puskesmas).

"We have coordinated with the sub-district head and the local community health centres (Rajeg and Mauk). Medical officers have been prepared, we are anticipating if anyone is affected by this smoke," he said.