Ministry of Environment to Investigate Cause of Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire After Extinguishing Process

The Ministry of Environment (KLH) will conduct an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire at the Jatiwaringin Final Processing Site (TPA) in Mauk District, Tangerang Regency, after the extinguishing process is declared complete. Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement at KLH, Rizal Irawan, stated that all resources are currently focused on controlling the fire and preventing it from spreading. As a result, the investigation process cannot yet begin. “Our focus now is on extinguishing and preventing the spread. It is impossible for me to process the crime scene here to look for the cause right now,” Rizal said on Saturday (4/7). According to Rizal, once conditions at the site are declared safe, the KLH will deploy a law enforcement team to conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire that scorched around 15 hectares of the Jatiwaringin TPA area. “We will look at law enforcement efforts later, after the extinguishing process is complete. Then we will send the team back here,” he said. Previously, the Head of the Tangerang Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Achmad Taufik, suspected the fire was triggered by extremely high air temperatures during the dry season. He explained that these conditions are thought to have ignited methane gas accumulated within the rubbish piles, eventually causing the fire. “The rubbish piles that have been there for years contain methane gas. When there is extreme heat, that gas can turn into fire,” Taufik said. As of Saturday (4/7), the Jatiwaringin TPA fire was still being handled. Joint officers continue to attempt to extinguish the flames via land and air using fire engines, heavy equipment, water-bombing helicopters, and an injection method applied by Manggala Agni personnel to reach hotspots beneath the surface of the rubbish piles.