Firefighters close to fully extinguishing Pulau Burung landfill fire

GEORGE TOWN – The Pulau Burung landfill fire has been brought down to 15% of the area, with the fire expected to be put out completely in a couple of days, subject to wind conditions.

Seberang Prai City Council (MBSP) councillor David Marshel said only 15% of the landfill continues to be on fire out of the 11-ha plot there, with firefighters focused on Sector 3 of the area, utilising 10 water tankers provided by the council.

“Red earth placement will be carried out in Sector 3 and 5.

“As of yesterday, a total of 15,150 tonnes of red earth have been transported to the landfill site by MBSP and the contractor PLB Terang.

“MBSP has transported a total of 3,950 tonnes of red earth while PLB Terang has transported a total of 11,200 tonnes to cover the peat fire.

“So far, MBSP has spent RM298,200, with RM63,200 spent to buy red earth, RM190,000 for water tankers and RM45,000 paid for outsourced tankers with the expenses to be claimed from the contractor later,” Marshel told The Vibes when contacted today.

Marshel, who was at the landfill when contacted, said the windy conditions at the site were advantageous for the firefighters, aiding them to put out the fires faster.

He added the air quality in the area has improved tremendously and the skies are clear.

The Seberang Prai Selatan district disaster management committee had stated that the fires in Sectors 1, 2 and 4 of the landfill have been completely extinguished but continues to monitor the salutation.

It added that land reclamation work is still being carried out to ensure that landfill fires come to an end.

The committee said that in order to facilitate the fire extinguishing work at the landfill, the areas on fire were divided into five sectors, with three sectors having been extinguished completely.

The committee added that efforts to extinguish the landfill fire are being assisted by federal and state agencies including the Seberang Prai City Council, Penang City Council, Civil Defence Force, volunteer fire brigades and the landfill management company, Syarikat PLB Terang.

The Penang Environment Department has been monitoring the Air Pollution Index around the clock since the fire began on January 12 and will continue doing so using drones to detect heat spots. – The Vibes, January 30, 2022