Navotas landfill fire under control

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MANILA, Philippines — Authorities yesterday declared the fire that struck a 41-hectare sanitary landfill in Navotas under control, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). 

Classified as “rubbish fire,” the blaze that started on Friday night continued to emit thick smoke that posed challenges to firefighters and air quality issues to nearby communities.

The BFP said it encountered difficulty in extinguishing the fire since the landfill is located on an island about 2.6 kilometers from the Navotas mainland.

First responders initially conducted trenching, a common method to prevent rubbish fire from spreading, as the low tide prevented the BFP from undocking fire boats.

When tidal conditions normalized on Saturday morning, two fire boats were deployed.

Two Philippine Air Force helicopters helped conduct water drops.

Authorities are still determining what caused the fire.

Unhealthy air

Some parts of Metro Manila reached “acutely unhealthy” levels of fine particulate matter following the fire, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Based on DENR monitoring, air quality index in Navotas and Malabon reached 90 micrograms per normal cubic meter and 76.55 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively, on Saturday.

The DENR is encouraging residents to stay indoors with windows closed or wear an N95 mask.

Suspension of outdoor activities and classes in areas where smoke or odors are prevalent are recommended by the agency.