Police State that Waringinkurung Landfill Has Been Closed Since 2025
The Waringinkurung Police Chief, Iptu Hari Purwanto, stated that the site of the fire in Waringinkurung District, Serang Regency, was a temporary landfill (TPA) that ceased operations in 2025. According to Hari, the site is currently overgrown with weeds.
“In 2025, we took follow-up action to ensure no further waste disposal activities took place there. Consequently, the landfill has not been operational since 2025, as the Serang Regency Government has been permitted to move to the Cilowong landfill,” Hari explained regarding the history of the Waringinkurung site on Sunday (30/08/2026).
Hari noted that the land in Waringinkurung is an asset owned by the Serang City Government, which was utilised as a temporary landfill by the Serang Regency Government since 2020 due to a lack of alternative disposal sites. Operations were halted in 2025 after permission was granted for the Regency Government to use the Cilowong landfill.
“In early 202ng, the Serang Regency and Serang City authorities entered into an MoU, allowing Serang Regency to dispose of waste at the Cilowong landfill located in Gunungsari,” said Hari.
Police are now investigating suspicions that certain individuals may be intentionally dumping waste at the location despite its closure. The landowner and local government officials have been called in for questioning.
Since the closure of the Waringinkurung landfill, weeds have grown to cover the mounds of waste, which eventually ignited a few days ago.
“It is true; the recent fire originated from the weeds. Once the weeds caught fire, the old waste underneath ignited. The volume of waste is truly immense; therefore, what is burning is not just the weeds, but the accumulated waste from previous years,” he added.
He noted that while some new waste was observed during inspections, it did not catch fire; rather, it was the old, dry waste that ignited.
Police are investigating the possibility of unauthorised dumping at the closed site. Several parties have been summoned for further investigation.
“We are following up on this, as per orders from our superiors. We are concerned that despite the closure in 2025, some individuals are still dumping waste there. We are also concerned that the site might be being exploited or commercialised,” said Hari.
It was previously reported that joint emergency services were still managing the fire at the Waringinkurung landfill in Serang Regency, Banten. Four fire engines and one piece of heavy machinery were deployed to the scene.
“Regarding the current situation, there is no large-scale active fire. However, smoke persists because the fire is burning beneath the surface of the waste piles, making it difficult to extinguish,” stated Waringinkurung Police Chief Iptu Hari Purwanto when contacted on Sunday (30/08/2026).
“In terms of handling the situation, we have coordinated with the local leadership (Muspika) regarding the need for heavy machinery. Fortunately, an excavator was deployed today, and the operator is coordinating with the fire department,” he added.