Fire At The Waste TPA Again Occurs, This Time In Kawatuna Palu

Land fires occurred in the Kawatuna landfill area (TPA) located in Mantimulore District, Palu City, Tuesday (22/8/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Humas BPBD Central Sulawesi)

PALU - Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Central Sulawesi Province (Sulteng) said a land fire occurred in the Kawatuna Final Disposal Site (TPA) in Mantikulore District, Palu City.

"This land fire is expected to occur around 18.00 WITA," said Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of Central Sulawesi Province BPBD Andy A. Sembiring as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 22.

His party immediately coordinated with the Palu City Fire and Rescue Service (Damkarmat) after receiving this information and is currently still trying to extinguish the fire that was spreading.

As many as 20 firefighters and four fire engines were deployed to extinguish the fire.

Meanwhile, the Central Sulawesi BPBD Rapid Response Team (TRC) assisted by deploying two water tankers. In addition, his party is also temporarily conducting an assessment at the location of the fire.

"Until now, we still do not know the cause of the fire and data collection is still being carried out," he said.

Until now, he said, the hotspots in the Kawatuna TPA area had not been extinguished and the officers were still in the process of extinguishing them.

With the occurrence of two land fires in the past week, BPBD appealed to the public not to burn or throw cigarette butts in open land as a form of anticipation for the impact of the current El Nino phenomenon.

Previously, the Head of Central Sulawesi BPBD, Akris Fattah Yunus, appealed to residents to play an active role in preventing forest and land fires (karhutla) in anticipation of the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in the area.

Residents are prohibited from clearing new land or gardens by burning land and are advised not to throw cigarette butts carelessly which can result in forest and land fires.

"Residents are required to clean land using paras kits and not by burning land," he said.