The Lautoka City Council has confirmed that thick smoke lingering over parts of the city is the result of a deliberate fire at the Vunato rubbish dump, caused by individuals who illegally entered the site to collect scrap metal.
In response to questions from fijivillage News, the Council says the spread of the fire was contained by midnight on Sunday, and efforts are now focused on controlling the heavy smoke still drifting across the city.
To support firefighting operations, the Council has deployed two water carting trucks transporting water from Naikabula and two water pumps drawing water from nearby canals; these measures will remain in place until the fire is fully brought under control.
The Council adds that it has successfully prevented the blaze from spreading to three other sections of the landfill, with around twelve staff members working in rotating 10- to 12-hour shifts to maintain continuous firefighting efforts.
LCC says security personnel have identified two individuals who were seen in the same section of the dump before the fire started, and the matter has been referred to police for investigation.
It says that while smaller fires have occurred at the site in the past, this is the first large-scale incident in some time.
It adds that miscommunication delayed the National Fire Authority’s response, allowing the fire to spread further before containment efforts began.
The Council says the landfill serves the Lautoka District, Nadi Town, Nadi rural areas, Denarau, and nearby islands, and receives around 30 percent of hotel waste, making its management particularly challenging.
It is urging residents to stay away from the landfill and cooperate with authorities as firefighting efforts continue.
LCC is also advising people to take basic precautions, such as wearing masks, as smoke continues to drift across different areas depending on wind direction.
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