A fire at the Savusavu landfill remains active underground as the National Fire Authority and the Savusavu Town Council continue their efforts to try and suppress it.
The Ministry of Local Government says emergency crews responded to the site yesterday and successfully extinguished the surface-level flames. However, the fire originated deep underground, requiring heavy machinery to fully eliminate the threat.
The Ministry says following coordination with the Savusavu Town Council, a digger was deployed to the site yesterday.
It says NFA firefighters are on standby to extinguish the subterranean hotspots as the digger excavates the affected area adding this process is necessary to expose the core of the fire and release trapped combustible methane gas.
The Ministry says subsurface landfill fires occur when heat produced naturally as organic waste breaks down, combines with oxygen drawn into the landfill through surface cracks or air intrusion, and built-up methane gas together with dry combustible materials.
It says these fires present unique operational challenges, requiring excavation of the affected zone using heavy machinery before the hotspots can be smothered with dense dirt and clay to starve the fire of oxygen while trapped gases are safely vented.
The Ministry says the National Fire Authority and the Savusavu Town Council remain on site and are committed to resolving the situation safely and swiftly to protect the surrounding community and environment.
It adds that the Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates from the National Fire Authority and the Savusavu Town Council.
