Landfill Fire Update at 4pm on Wednesday, 11 March

Landfill Fire Update at 4pm on Wednesday, 11 March 2020. Crews from the Cayman Islands Fire Service (CIFS) and Department of Environmental Health (DEH) continue to see success in tackling a fire at the George Town Landfill.

The National Roads Authority has also been on site providing operational vehicle support to accelerate progress made.

A systematic approach of excavation and damping down is helping crews work towards full extinguishment of the fire. Once doused, this is followed by capping the area to minimise the chance of re-ignition.  

As hotspots are exposed through excavation, there may be a flare of smoke. Every effort is made by fire officers to reduce this as quickly as possible. Smoke density will vary as crews work through this process, however overall levels have continued to reduce as the area is capped.

Chief Fire Officer, Paul Walker QFSM reaffirms that residents of Lakeside, Watlers Road and the immediate vicinity of the landfill site are advised to keep windows, doors and air conditioning vents closed as a precaution.  

Once the fire has been fully extinguished, DEH will shift its focus to begin testing air quality in the area at the public’s request. The test measures levels of CO and CO2 which can be present in the air even after the fire has been extinguished. This test cannot be accurately assessed while smoke is present due to the sensitivity of the equipment.

The next operational meeting is scheduled for 8am tomorrow, with an update provided to the public shortly thereafter.