KLH warns regional governments to prepare for landfill fires

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry/Body for Environmental Control (KLH/BPLH) has warned all regional governments to be prepared and on alert to anticipate fires at final disposal sites (TPA) due to the impact of extreme weather phenomena. “Some time ago, on 1 July 2026, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Mr Junhur, issued a circular to regional heads to anticipate incidents like this (landfill fires). As we know, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has already warned that this El Niño will become more severe from July to September,” explained Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry, Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono, in Tangerang on Saturday. Furthermore, early mitigation measures are urgently needed following the early warning from the World Meteorological Organization regarding weather that is expected to be far more extreme. “This means we must anticipate the potential for fires; there will be a potential for fires at other TPAs throughout Indonesia. Out of the hundreds of TPAs, there is a possibility they could catch fire,” he said. Nevertheless, with hundreds of TPAs spread across all regions of Indonesia, the risk of fires similar to those that have occurred recently is very high if massive preventive measures are not taken. Therefore, through the circular issued on 1 July, a number of instructions and technical guidelines were detailed for regents and mayors, including steps to tighten supervision of activities in TPA areas to prevent sources of ignition. “Ensure that the methane ventilation system at the TPA is functioning properly to reduce the risk of explosion or natural ignition due to extreme temperatures. Prepare firefighting teams and water supplies around the TPA location,” he stated.