Navotas, Philippines — Eleven days after a rubbish fire broke out at the Old Navotas Sanitary Landfill on April 10, authorities continue to face difficulties extinguishing the flames, particularly those burning beneath the 44-hectare site.
Navotas LGU reported that as of April 20 the fire and smoke in several parts of the landfill are now gradually being contained and subsiding, following continuous efforts by various government agencies.
Such as soil cover, smothering, misting operations, firefighting efforts, and other interventions.
In photos shared by Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco, the extent of the fire in the landfill remains visible.
However, some sections of the site can already be seen without active flames or smoke.
In the coming days, authorities expect to shift operations to other hotspots to completely suppress methane gas emissions.
However several nearby areas and cities continue to be affected by hazardous smoke, resulting in poor air quality.
Based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) from the Environmental Management Bureau – National Capital Region, which measures fine particulate matter or PM2.5, atiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
Several areas in Caloocan, Malabon City, Navotas, and Quezon City recorded “Unhealthy” AQI levels ranging from 111 to 144.
These levels pose health risks, especially to sensitive groups such as the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, children, and those with asthma.
An AQI of 197, classified as “Very Unhealthy,” was recorded at Marikina CEMO along G. Fernando Street, while an “Acutely Unhealthy” level of 237 was recorded at Punturin Senior High School in Valenzuela City.
Meanwhile, Makati, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Mandaluyong, and San Juan City recorded “Good” to “Fair” air quality levels.
Residents in affected areas are still advised to wear face masks due to the toxic haze, as the fire in the Navotas landfill has not yet been fully declared extinguished.
At present, coordination continues among the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Office of the Civil Defense, and the Bureau of Fire Protection, along with other concerned agencies and international partners, to assess the situation at the Navotas landfill, determine further actions, monitor air quality, and evaluate its environmental and health impacts on residents affected by the toxic haze.
Meanwhile, based on a Sentinel-2C satellite image captured by the Philippine Space Agency on April 16, an estimated 28.58 hectares of the landfill were damaged by the fire, nearly half of the total area of the old dumpsite.