Fire Department Corrects Cause of Benowo Landfill Fire: Not Due to Flare

The Surabaya Fire and Rescue Department (DPKP) has corrected the cause of the fire at the Benowo Final Processing Site (TPA) in Sumberrejo Village, Pakal District, Surabaya, East Java, stating it was not due to a flare from football supporters. DPKP Surabaya Head Laksita Rini stated there was a data error from the Command Center report regarding the cause of the Benowo TPA fire. “It was not a flare, we do not know yet. That was from our colleagues at the Command Center,” Rini said when confirmed on Monday (20/7). Rini noted the distance between the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (GBT), where the football match between Persebaya Surabaya and PSIS Semarang took place on Sunday (19/7) afternoon, and the Benowo TPA is quite far. “That is why I was also confused, how could it be a flare, the location is far. I do not know the distance, I might be wrong later,” she said. Rini mentioned that her team is still investigating the exact cause of the Benowo TPA fire. Initial information suggested the fire started small but then grew, burning a mountain of rubbish after being fanned by the wind. “Yes, the cause is still under investigation. Indeed, it started small, but the wind was very strong and it spread quickly. To confirm regarding the flare, I do not know yet, we certainly do not know yet,” she said. The Benowo TPA fire was first detected at 6.49 p.m. WIB on Sunday (19/7) evening. The pile of waste at the location burned fiercely before finally being extinguished by joint officers. According to the official report from the Surabaya City DPKP, the main fire was extinguished at 9.05 p.m. WIB, while the damping down process was completed and the location declared safe at 11.58 p.m. WIB. Eight fire engines were deployed in the operation, consisting of two units from Pakal Post, one unit from TOW Post, two units from Rayon 5 Margomulyo, one unit from Rayon 2 Tambak Rejo, one unit from Lakarsantri Post, and one unit from Rayon 3 Rungkut. Officers also received assistance from 15 water tanker units from the Surabaya City Environmental Agency (DLH) and seven heavy equipment units. The overall Benowo TPA area covers approximately 10 hectares, with the burned area estimated at 900 metres in Block 1B. Handling of the fire involved several parties, namely the Surabaya City Fire and Rescue Department, the Surabaya City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Surabaya City DLH, and the West Integrated Post. There were no casualties in the incident. Based on field observations on Monday, there were no longer any fire officers at the location. Activities at the Benowo TPA were also back to normal, with rubbish trucks entering and exiting as usual. The Benowo TPA, located in Sumberrejo Village, Pakal District, is the largest final waste disposal site in Surabaya, covering an area of approximately 37 hectares. Operating since 2001, the site receives waste from Surabaya and surrounding areas with a capacity of around 1,500 tonnes per day. In addition to functioning as a final disposal site, the location is also known for its Waste-to-Energy Power Plant (PLTSa), which was inaugurated in 2021 and is the first and largest of its kind in Indonesia.