Forestry Ministry Deploys Manggala Agni to Extinguish Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire

The Ministry of Forestry has moved swiftly to handle a fire at the Jatiwaringin Final Processing Site (TPA) in Tangerang Regency. A total of 30 Manggala Agni personnel were deployed to the location on Friday (3/7) to accelerate the extinguishing process and minimise the impact of smoke that has begun to disturb the surrounding community. Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, explained that the team’s deployment was a response to a request for assistance from the Ministry of Environment. This step is also part of the ministry’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by land and waste fires. “The Ministry of Forestry has the resources and experience in handling TPA fires, such as when dealing with the Rawa Kucing TPA in Tangerang City in 2023,” said Dwi. He emphasised that the characteristics of TPA fires are very specific due to the accumulation of waste that produces high heat and methane gas, thus requiring a different strategy compared to ordinary forest fires. In its operations, Manggala Agni does not work alone. The team collaborates with the Tangerang Regency Fire Department and strengthens water bombing operations carried out by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Coordination is also carried out with the TNI, Polri, and the local BPBD. Director of Forest Fire Control, Thomas Nifinluri, detailed that the deployed personnel are trained workers originating from two different regions. Thomas added that the team applies a 5M strategy to ensure effective extinguishing. The technical extinguishing in the field begins with securing water sources and preparing supply lines. Given that the fire is beneath the waste pile, the team uses a “scraping method”. Officers dredge the waste pile in stages, then spray water directly onto the hidden embers until they are completely extinguished. Based on data from the Jatiwaringin TPA manager, the estimated area affected by the fire reaches 13 hectares. Currently, conditions at the location still show thick plumes of smoke, so intensive extinguishing operations continue to be carried out by all elements of the relevant agencies to ensure the fire does not spread again.