Galuga Landfill Fire Unextinguished for 5 Days, Spreading to 7.1 Hectares
The fire hitting the Galuga Landfill in Cibungbulang, Bogor Regency, West Java, remains unextinguished. As of Friday, the fire has been burning for five days since Monday (7/9).
The Regent of Bogor, Rudy Susmanto, stated that the burnt area has expanded into the Bogor City region, covering a total area of approximately 7.1 hectares. The fire has spread beyond the landfill boundaries.
“Initially, it was 1.7 hectares, then it grew to five hectares. Now, when combined with the Bogor City area, it is roughly 7.1 hectares,” said Rudy on Friday (11/9).
According to Rudy, while flames are no longer visible on the surface, the fire continues to burn deep within the waste piles, and smoke continues to rise.
“Visually, the flames are not seen. However, smoke continues to plume slightly, and there are still embers inside. We are digging through the piles one by one to cool them down,” Rudy explained.
The Mayor of Bogor, Dedie A Rachim, has requested assistance from the central government for Weather Modification Operations to accelerate the firefighting process.
“One of the necessary measures is weather modification by inducing rain, in the event that natural rain does not fall in the Galuga area. That is what we will propose to the central government,” said Dedie, who was monitoring the firefighting efforts alongside Bogor Regent Rudy Susmanto.
Extinguishing efforts involve several methods, including the deployment of heavy machinery and water bombing by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU).
“We are coordinating with Atang Sanjaya Air Force Base (Lanud ATS) to continue water bombing; God willing, it will proceed. We are using a multi-method approach, as it is impossible to rely on just one way,” said Dedie.
“We are making every possible effort, particularly by deploying heavy equipment and using water spraying. However, our hope is for rain. If rain does not fall in the next few days, we will propose weather modification to ensure rain is brought to this area,” he added.
The Mayor noted that fire hotspots are still visible in several locations. The fire emerges from beneath the waste piles after they are excavated using heavy machinery.
“As we suspected, the fire in this landfill is like husks inside. From the outside, it may appear as though there are no flames or hotspots, but once we dig, the fire becomes visible,” Dedie concluded.