New England Road Landfill Site fire under control
On Wednesday evening, acting Msunduzi Municipality spokesperson Mpume Mthembu said the team was monitoring the smoke.
A co-ordinated effort involving Msunduzi Fire Rescue Services, Water and Sanitation, uMgungundlovu District Fire and Rescue Services, and supporting stakeholders yielded positive results in containing the New England Road Landfill Site fire.
On Wednesday evening, acting Msunduzi Municipality spokesperson Mpume Mthembu said the team was monitoring the smoke.
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The fire broke out on Monday at about 2am.
Mthembu said while the fire was no longer spreading, it remained deep-seated beneath the waste mass, making it complex to extinguish completely.
Excavation and suppression operations are continuing in a controlled and systematic manner to expose and extinguish the underlying hotspots. Small pockets of white smoke remain visible, indicating isolated areas of residual combustion.
“As part of ongoing suppression efforts, Hydral 3C, a specialized firefighting foam, was introduced to
assist in suppressing the deep-seated fire and reduce the risk of re-ignition caused by methane within
the landfill,” said Mthembu yesterday evening.
ALSO READ | Fire crews contain New England Road Landfill Site blaze as investigation continues
Mthembu said the intervention has significantly reduced the affected area.
She said in accordance with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the incident has been reported to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) as a Section 30 environmental incident.
“Officials from EDTEA conducted a site inspection on Tuesday and continue to engage with the municipality as part of the regulatory process. The municipality remains committed to protecting public health and the environment,” she said.
Air quality monitoring has been ongoing in and around the landfill site and will continue as part of the municipality’s response, she said.
Firefighting teams will remain on site and will continue operations until the fire has been fully
extinguished.
ALSO READ | Smoke blankets PMB as landfill fire remains under control
She assured the community that Msunduzi Municipality will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available.
