Smoke pouring from Samut Prakan landfill after two-day firefight

A fire at a landfill in Bangpu, Samut Prakan province, was brought under control on Sunday but will take another two or three days to extinguish as thick black smoke billows from the site, according to officials.

Firefighters were called to the scene on Friday and spent two days containing the blaze, with only smoke seen rising from the garbage by Sunday.

Water has been sprayed on the landfill to reduce the danger from toxic smoke affecting locals.

Somjet Thongthet, permanent secretary of Bangpu municipality, said the situation has improved as there were no burning embers visible in the area. 

The source of the blaze was traced to garbage piled in the middle of a pond. Officials deployed backhoes to push the flaming garbage into the water and clear trash around the pond to prevent the flames from spreading, Somjet said.

Local levels of hazardous PM2.5 have not exceeded the safe limit, according to the Pollution Control Department. However, the municipality has issued facemasks to residents living near the landfill to protect them from smoke impacts. PM2.5 levels in Samut Prakan and the rest of metropolitan Bangkok have regularly exceeded the safe threshold in recent weeks as agricultural burning and other sources of air pollution fuel Thailand’s so-called smog season. 

Municipality officials are also collecting evidence to prosecute the landfill operator and locals who burn garbage in the area, Somjet said.