Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire Still Raging, BNPB Deploys Water Bombing Helicopters

A fire that broke out at the Jatiwaringin Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Mauk District, Tangerang Regency, Banten, has still not been extinguished as of Wednesday, 1 July 2026. The situation has prompted the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to intensify its response by deploying water bombing helicopters to assist with firefighting efforts from the air. The incident was first reported on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, at around 12.30 WIB. According to the latest assessment from the BNPB’s Deputy for Emergency Response, the flames were still burning on Wednesday morning and risk spreading further if not brought under control immediately. Responding to these developments, BNPB Chief Lieutenant General TNI Dr. Suharyanto issued direct instructions to all personnel to accelerate the on-the-ground response. In addition to conducting further assessments, the BNPB has been asked to strengthen coordination with the local government to ensure a more effective firefighting process. ‘Make every effort to extinguish it immediately,’ Suharyanto stated. Based on monitoring at the site, personnel are facing a number of challenges in putting out the fire. The burning material is predominantly piles of waste containing highly flammable substances, causing the fire to continue smouldering deep within the rubbish heaps. The hotspots are also located at elevated areas, making them difficult to reach using ground-based firefighting equipment. The situation is further complicated by weather conditions. Strong winds combined with hot air temperatures have caused the flames to spread rapidly to various parts of the landfill site. To accelerate the fire control process, the BNPB has decided to deploy aerial assets in the form of water bombing helicopters. This measure is expected to reach hotspots that are difficult for ground crews to access. ‘We are bringing in two water bombing helicopters and, if necessary, will conduct weather modification operations,’ Suharyanto stressed. Following up on this instruction, one MI-8AMT water bombing helicopter with registration RA-22834 was repositioned from Jambi Province to Tangerang on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. The helicopter had previously been tasked with supporting forest and land fire response efforts in the Jambi region. The helicopter is capable of carrying up to 4,000 litres of water per load, which is then dropped directly onto the fire hotspots. The presence of this aerial fleet is expected to accelerate the extinguishing process while reducing the potential for the fire to spread to a wider area.