Five Facts: A Week On, Fire at Jatiwaringin Landfill Still Raging

The Jatiwaringin Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Tangerang Regency, Banten, has been ablaze for a week. Joint personnel are continuing to battle the fire in an effort to extinguish it completely. Over ten hectares of the area have been affected since Tuesday (30/6), though the hard work of the joint task force has reduced the extent of the blaze. The Tangerang Regent has declared a state of emergency for the fire at TPA Jatiwaringin from 1 to 14 July 2026, with hundreds of personnel deployed. As of Monday (6/7), firefighting equipment deployed includes helicopters from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) for water bombing, dozens of fire engines, excavators, and water injection tools for the waste piles.

Here are the latest facts from a week of handling the fire at TPA Jatiwaringin:

1. Additional Water Bombing Helicopters

There has been an increase in the deployment of helicopters for water bombing today. A total of four helicopters will be deployed. “The plan is indeed to deploy an additional two water bombing helicopters besides those already operating,” said Head of the BNPB Data, Information, Communication, and Disaster Centre (Kapusdatinkom), Abdul Muhari, on Monday (6/7). One other helicopter will join the extinguishing process once it is ready. Currently, only three helicopters are continuously conducting aerial firefighting. “But only one unit has been able to reposition so far, so the total working now is still three units,” he said.

2. Cloud Seeding Not Yet Possible

Weather Modification Operations (OMC) were part of the firefighting plan for TPA Jatiwaringin. Currently, rain clouds are not yet ideal for artificial rain OMC. “OMC depends on the growth of rain clouds. Until now, we have been coordinating with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). As we can see, the sky over Jakarta is still cloudless, still very thin, not yet ideal for OMC,” he said. Muhari stated that one aircraft has been placed on standby for OMC. Artificial rain modification will be carried out when rain cloud conditions are ideal.

3. Current Conditions

Today, the fire is still burning at TPA Jatiwaringin. The extinguishing process is hampered by embers still emerging from the waste piles. “Possibly because of the weather or the nature of the waste, it has spread widely. The fire is creeping from inside the waste piles, which are currently being broken up using backhoes and heavy equipment,” said a call centre officer for the Tangerang Regency BPBD/Fire Department. The BNPB reported that the burned area is approximately 15 hectares out of the total 33-hectare TPA Jatiwaringin site. Firefighting is being conducted from land and air. Tangerang Regency fire engines, assisted by those from Tangerang City, South Tangerang, and Banten, have been deployed to the fire location. Besides helicopters, a number of heavy equipment units have also been deployed.

4. Hundreds of Residents Return Home, Dozens Remain Displaced

Hundreds of residents who had previously evacuated due to the TPA Jatiwaringin fire returned home on Sunday (5/7). A dozen people remain in shelters. “A total of 232 people took shelter at the Tanjakan Mekar Village Office last night, and this morning they returned to their respective homes. Fifteen people remain,” said BNPB Kapusdatinkom Abdul Muhari. Muhari explained that the 15 people still displaced are those whose homes are closest to the fire location, making their houses unsafe to occupy. The BNPB and Tangerang Regency Government are ensuring logistical supplies for the needs of residents affected by the TPA Jatiwaringin fire.

5. Beware of Smoke Exposure

The Ministry of Environment (KLH) is monitoring air quality around the TPA Jatiwaringin fire site. The KLH is using two air quality monitoring vehicles and three portable devices. “Yes, we are monitoring the air quality,” said the Director General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) at KLH, Rasio Ridho Sani, on Monday (6/6). Ridho detailed the results of the air quality monitoring. The results showed a decrease in 2.5-micrometre pollutant particles on the fifth day of the fire. “Compared to the second day, on the fifth day there was a decrease in the concentration of PM 2.5 particles in the air at the fire location,” he said. Despite the decrease in pollution particles, air quality at several points remains unhealthy. He urged the public not to approach the location and to continue wearing masks when doing outdoor activities.