KLH Deploys 30 Manggala Agni Personnel to Accelerate Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire Suppression

The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has deployed 30 Manggala Agni personnel to strengthen firefighting efforts at the Jatiwaringin Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Mauk District, Tangerang Regency, Banten. The move aims to accelerate the handling of a blaze that has been burning for several days. Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement at KLH, Rizal Irawan, stated that the deployment resulted from coordination between the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Forestry. “After I contacted him yesterday, the Minister of Environment also contacted the Minister of Forestry, and they will deploy around 30 firefighters from Manggala Agni.” According to Rizal, the personnel were assigned to help control the fire, which has been burning since Tuesday (30/6). Their presence is considered crucial because the characteristics of a landfill fire differ from ordinary fires. He explained that the fire not only burns the surface of the waste pile but also spreads deep into the mound, which reaches a height of around 30 metres. This condition makes the extinguishing process more complex. “They will bring high-pressure injection equipment, because we are trying to extinguish the fire that is beneath the surface.” The deployed personnel come from Climate Change and Forest and Land Fire Control Centres (PPIKHL) in several regions, including Makassar, Palembang, and West Java. In this firefighting operation, extinguishing efforts are being carried out using two methods: ground-based operations using fire engines and aerial operations via water bombing using helicopters. Rizal added that the approach to handling the fire at the Jatiwaringin TPA is being modelled on methods typically used for peatland fires. This is because the hotspots are located not only on the surface but also deep within the waste pile. “We are treating this similarly to peatland fires, where we cannot focus only on the surface but must also address the fire below. That is why we need the equipment that Manggala Agni possesses.” Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported positive progress in the firefighting efforts. Approximately 30 per cent of the area affected by the fire at the Jatiwaringin TPA has now been extinguished and is beginning to be brought under control. Director of Emergency Operations Control at BNPB, Djohan Darmawan, said that control operations have entered their fourth day, with two water-bombing helicopters continuing to be optimised to accelerate the extinguishing process. “For now, we can see that in the morning the wind is not too strong. Our personnel are working at maximum capacity from morning, through the afternoon, and into the night.” In addition to aerial support, BNPB has also deployed 18 fire engines to reach hotspots that cannot be tackled by water bombing, in hopes of speeding up the control of the fire until it is completely extinguished.