TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that approximately 30 percent of the fire at the Jatiwaringin Landfill in Mauk, Tangerang Regency, Banten, was extinguished and brought under control on Friday, July 3.
BNPB's Director of Emergency Operations Control, Brigadier General Djohan Darmawan, stated in Tangerang on Friday that two water-bombing helicopters are being heavily utilized to accelerate firefighting efforts as the emergency operation enters its fourth day.
"For now, we can see that the winds are not too strong in the morning. Our teams are also working at maximum capacity, morning, afternoon, and night," he explained as reported by Antara.
To optimize fire containment, the agency has also deployed 18 firefighting vehicles to comb through hotspots that remain out of reach for the water bombers.
"It has been four days now, and we have brought in two water-bombing helicopters alongside 18 firefighting units," he said.
To date, 30 percent of the ablaze area has been successfully extinguished. Nevertheless, personnel on the ground remain hampered by strong winds, which present a major challenge in controlling the remaining flames.
To expedite the emergency response, he noted that 30 personnel from the Forestry Ministry’s Manggala Agni tactical fire brigade will be brought in to accelerate the process using an injection method.
"This injection system will use a [specialized] pipe. The pipe will be driven into the debris by Manggala Agni personnel, who are experienced in doing this. We will likely begin operations this afternoon," he said.
Meanwhile, observations at the scene on Friday afternoon indicated that thick smoke and active hotspots were still smoldering across several refuse piles. At the same time, integrated suppression efforts continue unabated via both air and land routes.
Two BNPB water-bombing helicopters were remobilized to target stubborn blazes that are difficult to access from the ground.
In addition to the water drops, heavy excavators are being deployed to break down the soaked piles of waste. This crucial step aims to open up direct access to deep-seated hotspots within the trash mountain and prevent buried embers from rekindling.
Furthermore, road access leading from the Jatiwaringin Landfill toward Sukadiri District is currently restricted, clearing the way exclusively for operational vehicles belonging to the fire department, the military (TNI), the police (Polri), medical teams, and frontline mitigation agencies.
Read: Jatiwaringin Landfill Fire: Walhi Slams Systemic Failures
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