Kuningan landfill fire destroys up to 90% of area

A significant portion of the Ciniru landfill in Kuningan, West Java, has been engulfed in flames, with local environmental authorities estimating that 85-90% of the area is affected. The fire has consumed the surface of the accumulated waste, though the full depth of the burned material remains unknown.

Usep Sumirat, head of the Kuningan Environmental Agency (DLH), stated that the exact cause of the blaze is still under investigation. He emphasized the importance of not prematurely assigning blame to the public without understanding the origin of the fire. Instead, the focus is shifting towards improving waste management practices to mitigate the risk of similar occurrences.

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This can be above 85 to 90 percent. However, we don't know the depth yet.

The Ciniru landfill, which covers approximately 5.6 hectares, previously experienced a fire in 2018 when its waste volume was considerably lower. Currently, it receives an average of 200 tons of waste daily from local government services, though these services do not yet reach all villages and sub-districts in Kuningan.

Efforts are underway by the DLH and other personnel to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby residential areas. The landfill operates on a sanitary landfill concept, equipped with gas pipes and leachate treatment systems, but the gas pipeline network has also been damaged by the fire. Looking ahead, the DLH plans to promote integrated waste processing facilities and explore options like Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) production.

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What I definitely don't want is to blame the public because it's dangerous if we don't know the cause.