ILOILO CITY, Philippines — A fire that hit the Calajunan dump at Mandurriao district in this city since Monday has not been contained to this day.
The continuing smoke from the fire have forced officials of six public schools to suspend classes and have threatened the health of about 10,000 residents in six villages of Mandurriao and neighboring Arevalo district.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) and the City Health Office have advised residents to use face masks to avoid inhaling the fumes from the burning dump. City officials have distributed face masks to the residents.
Immaculate Juntarciego, chief of EMB's Solid Waste Management Division, said the situation is now very alarming because smoke and particulate matters from the burning plastics at the dump may result to lung problem or respiratory infection. She added that this also has dire impact to the environment.
Calajunan dump in-charge, Engr. Niel Ravena, said the fire started Monday morning at the back portion of the 3-hectare site where two minors were seen playing firecrackers that may have caused it.
Ravena said his personnel started covering soil in the affected area to contain the fire but this proved futile, adding that, if this continues, the dire situation might last for several months.
He also said this is the second time that fire happened at the dump during his management. The first one happened five years ago but was immediately contained.
The city's Bureau of Fire Protection, which had not declared yet a fire out, has already responded to the scene and used cold chemical to remove the heat from the burning area. City fire OIC, Supt. Jerry Candido said they tried their best to contain the fire using this chemical but the expected result has been very slow.
Candido said each chemical, costing P25,000, is dissolved in 10 containers of water. He said that every day, they deliver 50 trucks of water containing 4 tons of water per truck to the site. "Let's just hope and pray the rain will come," he said.
Water tanks from private water delivery firms in the city were also brought in to help firefighters battle the blaze, said a GMA News report. SFO3 Jose Amarkuan, city BFP's 1st Battalion chief, said: "The fire covers more than a hectare and we have difficulty penetrating the area. However, backhoes are deployed to dig canals, an attempt to prevent the fire from further spreading." (FREEMAN)