Landfill fires pose serious risks to the safety at a landfill site and its surroundings. These fires can prove very difficult to extinguish, especially subsurface fires. In recent years Afvalzorg successfully provided assistance to landfill operators in e.g. Turkey, Spain and Aruba on coping with extensive (sub)surface landfill fires.
Depletion of oxygen and prevention of ingress of outside air into the landfill body, in combination with proper landfill gas management, are the key to success in most cases. Afvalzorg assisted operators of several landfill sites with a strategy to extinguish extensive subsurface landfill fires which has been smouldering for many years. With a fire-fighting strategy in place, the closure and redevelopment works on site can continue in a safe manner. Recently, Afvalzorg also successfully provided assistance in extinguishing a landfill fire in Zaldibar, Spain. Here 1.5 million tons of waste avalanched down the hill during a serious landfill accident and caught fire. In close collaboration with the Basque government and local fire fighters, the fire was extinguished within a short period of time allowing for the rescue and reconstruction works to continue in a safe way.
All fire events at landfills require a site specific approach. Afvalzorg can help to quickly assess the situation and decide on next steps to take into solving these complex and hazardous situations.