Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire Still Raging on Third Day

A fire at the Jatiwaringin Final Processing Site (TPA) in Mauk District, Tangerang Regency, remains unextinguished as it enters its third day. Flames are still visible at several points, with thick smoke billowing into the air on Thursday morning (2 July).

Observations at the location show the smoke moving northwards with the wind. Several hotspots remain visible amidst piles of waste that have been blackened since the fire broke out on Tuesday (30 June). Activity at the landfill site has virtually ground to a halt. No waste transport vehicles were seen entering or leaving the area, while several excavators were parked in sections unaffected by the fire.

Firefighting efforts were temporarily halted on Thursday morning, with officers seen resting at the TPA Jatiwaringin Technical Implementation Unit office before resuming their attempts to extinguish the blaze. An air quality monitoring station vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Environment has been deployed to the site to monitor the impact of pollution from the fire. The direction of the smoke continues to depend on wind conditions, with at least three sub-districts—Mauk, Rajeg, and Sukadiri—affected by air pollution.

Sarnata, a resident of Tanjakan Mekar Village in Mauk District, said some residents have been sheltering at the village office since Wednesday evening (1 July) as the smoke thickened during the afternoon and night. “The smoke stings, and it causes chest tightness. When the smoke reaches here, the stinging is unbearable,” Sarnata said. He explained that his village, located to the west of the landfill, is one of the areas most frequently affected when the wind direction changes. “Usually, from around five in the afternoon until night, the wind blows this way. At night, residents definitely evacuate,” he said. Sarnata admitted that he and several other residents have begun experiencing health problems, such as coughing and chest tightness. His toddler grandchild even had to be rushed to hospital after suffering breathing difficulties.