IPOH: Thick smoke has been billowing from Cameron Highlands’ landfill in Blue Valley for the past week, marring the beauty of the picturesque highlands.
Firemen are also having a tough time with the foul smell from the burning site.
Cameron Highlands Fire and Rescue Department supervisor Zahari Awang Mamat said several firemen vomited each time they were sent to the site.
“What seemed like the stench of burning fish and meat, and even burning faeces, can be detected from around the highlands,” he added.
Firemen had since Monday been tirelessly using portable water pumps to wet the landfill and avoid fires from flaring up.
“To date, only about 20% of the landfill is still emitting smoke. Efforts to put out the burning have been especially tough as the landfill, which is about the size of a football field, is located on a hillslope,” he said yesterday.
He added that the department had yet to determine if the burning was caused by humans or the result of the current hot spell in Cameron Highlands.
It is learnt that the Cameron Highlands Environment Department had ordered the landfill operator and district council to cover the landfill with soil and to create a buffer zone to prevent the burning from spreading further.
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