Oh no! Not again! Last December was in Migriño, and now it is La Paz
A large fire broke out at the La Paz landfill yesterday afternoon, demanding immediate response and the intensive mobilization of emergency services.
Approximately 50 personnel from various emergency and civil protection agencies are working to extinguish the fire that started this afternoon at the La Paz landfill.
The fire, which was reported at noon, has prompted a significant mobilization of resources and personnel to prevent the flames from spreading and causing further damage. Witnesses at the scene noted the rapid response of authorities and the collaboration between various forces in addressing the emergency.
Among the groups that provided help are personnel of The Baja California Sur Civil Protection Undersecretariat, who shared on social media that fire mitigation efforts continue. Personnel from the Civil Protection, the State Police, the La Paz Fire Department, the Ministry of National Defense, the Navy, the National Guard, the Municipal Police, the La Paz Civil Protection Department, the La Paz Drinking Water and Sewerage office, and Sanitation System Operating Agency, and volunteer groups are on site. Work was underway to control and extinguish the fire.
So far, no casualties or significant material damage have been reported outside the landfill area. Authorities continue working to completely extinguish the fire and secure the affected area.
The state government’s official of Civil Protection, Héctor Amparano, reported that once the conflagration is fully mitigated, experts from the Honorable Fire Department will determine the cause of the fire. However, these dates are known to be favorable for these types of incidents due to the strong winds of the season
He explained that the weather conditions make it more difficult to control fires in sanitary landfills, which are already highly complex due to the trenches being filled with combustible waste.
He mentioned that extinguishing fires in sanitary landfills requires not only water but also various elements such as earth and chemicals. Therefore, extinguishing them is not done immediately, but it takes time until there is no longer a risk of the fire rekindling.
He pointed out that although the fire is intense and the gases generated by a fire in the landfills are extremely toxic, so far, no injuries or poisonings have been reported to anyone or emergency personnel.
Fortunately, the site is far from the city and does not pose a risk to the population.
However, he stated that as a result of the conflagration, there will be a dense cloud of smoke over the landfill area, which could affect the air quality of the city of La Paz.
He pointed out that the fire is expected to be completely extinguished in the next few hours.
He also stated that more in-depth actions are needed to prevent the La Paz and Los Cabos landfills from catching fire frequently. The trenches are becoming saturated due to the increase in garbage, and different waste separation is needed, but all of this requires resources. Hummm, maybe 2.5 million dollars invested in artists could help, no?