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Fire breaks out at Phuket landfill site
Eakkapop Thongtub


The fire broke out at an area close the the incinerator.

PHUKET: -- A fire broke out at the Municipality landfill site yesterday evening (March 17). It took firemen more than two hours to put it out, and officials are still concerned about air pollution which was possibly caused from the smoke.

At 6:30pm, emergency relief units from Phuket Municipality were called to investigate the fire which had broken out at the landfill site behind the Phuket incinerator. Officials arrived at site with five fire trucks and Kusoldharm rescue workers.

The landfill site covers an area of more than 10 rai and the fire broke out on an area close to the incinerator.

“Every day, OrBorTor rubbish trucks bring rubbish to the incinerator where it is seperated. Some of the rubbish is burnt in the incineraton whilst the remainder is dumped in the landfill site,” said an official.

The rubbish was buring very fast and thick smoke filled the air.

Firemen sprayed water onto the rubbish whilst an excavator was digging the rubbish up.

It took firemen over two hours to put the fire out but as there was a lot of plastic waste they had to remain onsite and continue to put water on the area to ensure it didn̕t start to burn again.

Witnesses who saw the fire said that the fire started on a small area but escalated very quickly to a larger area.

Officials have said that there are a couple of possibilities as to why the fire startred. Solar heat was one possibility as plastic will burn after being exposed to the sun for too long.

Another possibilty is that burning cigarettes butts may have been thrown into the landfill site.

Officials have confirmed that they will investigate to find out the real cause of the fire as the landfill site is full of hazardous materials such as chemicals and plastic which could cause problems to local̕s health once smoke gets in to the air.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/fire-breaks-out-at-phuket-landfill-site-51453.php

-- Phuket News 2015-03-18

[eliotness]

Oh dear ! another waste management problem. Seems to be at least one a week. There needs to be correctly trained landfill managers, oh but I forgot, this is Thailand.

[Guest]

Officials have said that there are a couple of possibilities as to why the fire startred. Solar heat was one possibility as plastic will burn after being exposed to the sun for too long.

That's a bit difficult to believe. Autoignition temperature for plastics is quite much higher than direct solar radiation can produce.

http://www.tcforensic.com.au/docs/article10.html#2.1.2

But maybe a glass bottle could have acted as magnifying glass to start the fire.

[maidee]

thai style, the fire is still burning a few meters below and will ignite again

so that will make more room for ... more trash ...

it's a national hobby / passtime after all

culture and all, you know

[eliotness]

There is an international waste management conference in Bangkok later this month, our leader should make it mandatory that all thai people responsible for waste management attend and learn under threat of attitude adjustment if they don't.

[eliotness]

Dealing with a landfill fire needs rapid response, the right machines (dozers etc), plenty of cover material (sand, soil etc) and most important a manager who knows his job and has got the balls to make sure things are done as he says. Left to burn a landfill fire can smoulder for months or years. Mr PM you have the power, set up a rapid response team now !!!