A significant fire at the Suwung landfill in Denpasar led to the evacuation of 57 affected residents to the Serangan Village headquarters on Saturday.
The evacuees, who come from 15 families, consist of 33 adults, 17 children and 7 toddlers. Serangan sub-district chief I Wayan Karma said these residents are mainly immigrants from Banyuwangi who moved to the area in search of work, mainly as scavengers.
“These individuals, who initially took refuge at SDN 2 Serangan School, eventually accepted the offer to stay at the sub-district office,” Karma said.
The Denpasar City Council’s social and health services are providing health checks and support to these evacuees. “We are working closely with the relevant departments and continuously assessing the situation,” Karma added.
The impact of the fire reached schools near the dump, including SDN 5 Pedungan, less than a kilometer northwest of the dump. Due to smoke infiltration and the associated odor, the school dismissed students early. Speaking about the impact of the smoke, Ni Nyoman Kerni, the school’s principal, said: “When the smoke first entered our premises at around 2:30pm on the 12th, we were not sure of its origin. When we realized that the fire was a result of the landfill fire, we promptly sent the students home at 3 p.m., especially as the situation worsened as black smoke engulfed our buildings.”
The next day, smoke again hit the school around 11 a.m. WITA, leading to another early dismissal. Kerni noted the fire’s detrimental effects on the health of the school’s 562 students, many of whom showed symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath.
Residents further away from the dump, including those living about 6km away on Jalan Gunung Soputan III, reported smoke reaching their homes. Concerns about health impacts, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, continue to increase.
In response to the escalating situation, Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara on Thursday declared a state of emergency over the Suwung landfill fire, emphasizing efforts to douse the flames. “We have deployed at least 17 fire engines in collaboration with various regional governments and the Bali Police Water Cannon. Our main goal is to quickly contain and extinguish this fire,” said Jaya Negara.
The mayor’s directive also extends to broader community support, including setting up health posts, distributing masks and managing traffic. Jaya Negara said: “We are actively engaging with local community leaders to ensure that residents experiencing health issues due to the smoke receive immediate treatment at community health centres.”
In the wake of the fire that disrupted waste transportation, coordination is underway with neighboring districts to temporarily accommodate waste from Denpasar City until the fire is fully contained.
