By Lincoln G. Peters
Residents of Whein Town Community in Paynesville, Montserrado County have decried the unhygienic and hazardous living conditions they are facing in the area following a fire outbreak.
According to the citizens, a massive fire outbreak at the only sanitary landfill site in Paynesville is posing a serious threat to their living conditions.
The site is designated for garbage from various cities in Montserrado County.
On Wednesday, 24 January 2024, community members reported that the fire started at about 9 pm on Monday.
They said the fire originated from the middle of the third large, densely packed garbage mound at the landfill site, causing a sleepless night for residents near the area.
The residents further stated that the blaze unleashed a colossal amount of smoke throughout the community, prompting them to evacuate their homes in search of a safer place to rest.
In response to finding an adequate solution to the embarrassing situation, the Liberia National Fire Service swiftly dispatched two fire service trucks and personnel equipped to combat the fire.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]
Despite their efforts, the fire continued to escalate due to strong winds. It’s appropriately 48 hours now since the firefighters commenced efforts to combat the fire but to no avail.
John Siaffa, the coordinator for the JNB and JKK volunteers who were on the scene, lamented that upon examination, they established that the cause of the fire was an immense heat and gas generated by the accumulated garbage.
“These are testament to global warming, and the time that we had in-between that we didn’t have water to battle this thing, that’s what increased the fire,” he noted.
Siaffa emphasized that the fire was a natural occurrence, attributing it to the rising temperatures within the garbage during the dry season, causing the gas produced by the stacked garbage to ignite nearly every year.
Siaffa further called for technical support from individuals with water trucks to assist the Liberia National Fire Service in extinguishing the fire.
He also mentioned that their team is working to empower community members to contribute to the firefighting efforts.
The JNB & JKK Inauguration Volunteers head further stated that there’s an urgent need for more logistics to help battle the incident.
“We need Fuel, we need water, even manpower, whatever you have send it and we will appreciate it,” Mr. Siaffa requested.
As it stands, the condition of the largest Sanitary Landfill in Paynesville remains a major challenge for the Liberia National Fire Service as well as posing severe health danger to the community dwellers in the area.
The Whein Town Sanitary Landfill Site is about 25-acre created in 2005 following the closure of the previous solid waste disposal site in Fiamah, Sinkor. The site is being managed by the Monrovia City Corporation.
