Residents are calling for long-term action to prevent repeated landfill fires in Savusavu, saying the latest incident has once again raised concerns about the health impacts of smoke affecting nearby communities.
A resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told fijivillage News the fire has reduced but is still burning.
The resident says a fire truck was seen leaving the site yesterday and that while the wind has shifted from Savusavu's main harbour and town, the smoke is now drifting towards Naqere Settlement and Savusavu Secondary School.
The resident claims the smoke was first visible on Thursday but says no action was taken until Sunday, following growing public concern expressed on local Facebook and Viber community groups.
They say this is not the first time the landfill has caught fire and believe previous incidents have not resulted in changes to operations or policy that could prevent similar events.
The resident says unless meaningful changes are made, landfill fires will continue to occur, putting people's health at risk, particularly children and the elderly.
They also say that while a permanent solution will require significant time and investment, interim measures such as improving recycling efforts and banning all single-use plastic could help reduce the problem.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Local Government says the National Fire Authority, in collaboration with the Savusavu Town Council, is actively managing and suppressing the subterranean fire at the landfill.
The Ministry says firefighters extinguished the surface-level flames yesterday, but the fire originated deep underground and requires heavy machinery to fully eliminate the threat.
It says a digger has been deployed to excavate the affected area while firefighters remain on standby to extinguish underground hotspots as they are exposed.
The Savusavu Town Council is yet to provide a response to our questions.
