Cause for concern: Black smoke billowing into the air due to an open fire at the Kayu Madang waste disposal site in Kota Kinabalu, causing the air quality to reach an unhealthy level. — Bernama
KOTA KINABALU: It will take at least a week for the fire at the Kayu Madang landfill in Telipok to be completely put out, says Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
It said safety measures are being taken to reduce the smoke plumes at the landfill where used tyres were dumped, as firemen continued to fight the blaze for the second day.
According to City Hall, the fire started around noon on Sunday at a nearby secondary forest area and quickly spread to the landfill by 3.15pm.
Firemen were called in at 4.55pm and they have since been fighting the blaze covering an area of about 47,500sq m.
“Burying the tyres with earth will continue until it is completed (putting out the blaze). It is expected to take at least seven days,” said City Hall in a statement yesterday.
Kota Kinabalu City Hall Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah and senior officials visited the landfill and assured the people that the situation is under control.
They added that the blaze would not affect other areas.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Department director Abdul Razak Muda was also at the site to assess the situation.
An unhealthy air condition level was recorded from 10pm on Sunday in the area, and peaking at 157 by midnight.
It later dropped to an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 100 by 4pm yesterday.
Haze conditions also improved in Kimanis with readings below an API of 100 after unhealthy levels were recorded from 5am to 1pm yesterday.
API readings of between 0 and 50 are categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), while 300 and above are hazardous.
