Palembang, KOTABARI.COM – After involving various firefighting agencies, the Mount Trash at Sukawinatan Landfill, which had been burning since Friday (11/8/2023), has finally been declared fully under control. The announcement was made today by the Head of the Environmental Department (DLHK) of Palembang, DR H Akhmad Mustain SSTP MSi.
“Praise be to Allah, this morning there are no longer any traces of smoke from the previous fire. It was already under control by yesterday at four in the afternoon. It’s finished, the operations are completed,” stated Mustain.
Although the situation is now under control, DLHK continues to undertake precautionary measures by dampening the area of the former fire. “Later in the afternoon, we will resume the dampening process. We’ll keep doing this since there has been no rain. We will moisten the area later this afternoon,” Mustain mentioned.
Dampening efforts are being carried out by personnel from the TPA Unit of DLHK Palembang to ensure that the area remains humid. In this regard, an amphibious excavator is also being employed to assist in the dampening process. The excavator aids in collecting water in the dug holes, which is then filtered and used to spray the area affected by the previous fire.
Mustain also emphasized that the collaboration among various agencies has been successful in handling the fire. “With the full team effort of Manggala Agni, Damkar (fire department) of the province and city, DLHK, DLH, BNPB, and BPBD of the South Sumatra Province, we have collectively resolved the fire issue at the landfill,” he concluded.
Observations by Sripoku.com also indicate that there are no longer any traces of smoke at the former fire site in the Sukawinatan landfill area. Firefighter personnel from Damkar, BPBD Sumsel, and Manggala Agni, who were previously engaged in the firefighting efforts, are no longer present at the location. Waterbombing helicopters, which were previously active in aerial water spraying, are also no longer visible.
The fire affected approximately 2.5 hectares out of the total 10-hectare area of the Sukawinatan Landfill. Although the fire had temporarily subsided, it rekindled on Monday (14/8/2023), prompting Governor of South Sumatra, H Herman Deru, to request assistance from the Central BNPB. Two waterbombing helicopters were dispatched on Tuesday (15/8/2023) to conduct aerial water spraying to suppress the flames.
Throughout this response, the collaborating agencies worked diligently to overcome challenges posed by the methane gas generated by the trash piles. This collaborative effort has yielded positive results, with the announcement that the Mount Trash fire at Sukawinatan Landfill has been effectively contained.