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Emergency status declared for fire engulfing Bandung landfill
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has launched a helicopter to assist with a waterbombing operation to put out the fire that has burned 15 hectares of the Sarimukti landfill in West Bandung regency, West Java.
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A firefighter attempts to extinguish a fire at Sarimukti landfill in West Bandung regency, West Java on Aug. 23, 2023. The fire has been burning on the landfill since Aug. 19. (Antara/Raisan Al Farisi)
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ocal authorities have declared a state of emergency following a raging fire that has been burning at Sarimukti landfill in West Bandung regency, West Java, since last week.
The fire first broke out at the landfill on Aug. 19. It has so far burned about 15 hectares of mountains of trash. West Bandung Regent Hengky Kurniawan alleged the fire was triggered by dry season’s high temperatures, but West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said a cigarette thrown by a trash picker onto the landfill was the cause of the fire.
Hengky declared the emergency status on Wednesday after firefighters from regencies and municipalities around West Bandung were unsuccessful in extinguishing the fire completely. “I had called the governor about the emergency status,” he said as quoted by Antara.
Ridwan said he requested Hengky to declare the emergency status so authorities from the central government could help in putting out the fire. “Our existing equipment can’t reach the whole burned area,” the governor said.
The regent called for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to launch a waterbombing operation using aircraft to control the blaze. The aircraft would deliver water or chemicals to fight the fires.
Read also: Kalimantan, Java see rising wildfire risk amid dry weather conditions
According to a statement released on Friday, the disaster agency had prepared one helicopter for the aerial firefighting operation, which set off at around 3 p.m. on Friday. The helicopter could carry 20 tons of water per trip.
