Johor landfill catches fire, flames still raging (Feb 2)

JOHOR BARU: A 50-acre landfill in Jalan Nibong, Tanjung Langsat here caught fire at about 1am on Sunday (Feb 2).

The fire quickly spread due to strong winds and could not easily be brought under control. Fire-fighting was still going on at 9pm Sunday.

Pasir Gudang Fire and Rescue Department operation commander senior officer Iszahwati Supardi said that the department was only informed of the incident at about 4.11pm on Sunday.

“The fire had destroyed about six acres, and the operation is still ongoing, ” she said in a statement here.

She added that the department had deployed seven personnel with one fire engine to the area, aided by 10 officers and one excavator from the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council (MPPG), and three from the Department of Environment (DOE).

Johor DOE director Mohd Famey Yusoff, when contacted, said the department would investigate the matter and take appropriate action if there were any environmental violations.

The landfill would be shut down until March 2 to make way for the fire-fighting efforts, and all waste that is scheduled to be disposed there would instead be sent to the Seelong landfill in the meantime.

According to a source, the landfill belongs to MPPG and has been operating since 2002. Press queries have not met with any response from MPPG representatives thus far.