Landfill fire near Jakarta sickens residents, exposes waste management failures

Smoke from the Jatiwaringin landfill on Jakarta’s outskirts has sickened at least 154 residents with acute respiratory infections as firefighters struggled to contain a blaze that had spread across more than 15 hectares. The fire, which broke out on June 30 in Tangerang Regency, Banten, also forced evacuations, with dozens of residents moved out and more than 200 left home.

Crews have been battling the fire with water-bombing helicopters, water tankers, bulldozers and drones in a joint operation involving multiple agencies. By July 2, more than seven hectares had already burned, and the site was still not fully extinguished more than a week later.

Walhi, the environmental group, calls the Jatiwaringin disaster evidence of systemic waste-management failure rather than a simple accident, arguing that the problem reflects years of policy neglect as cities expand and more trash is pushed into overloaded disposal sites. The Indonesian government says the fire reinforces the need to phase out open dumping, a practice that leaves trash exposed and more vulnerable to ignition in hot, dry weather. The Ministry of Environment is planning a major evaluation of 390 landfills across the country starting in early August 2026.

The investigation into the cause of the Jatiwaringin fire will begin only after the blaze is fully extinguished. Officials have also warned other regions to prepare for landfill fires as extreme weather concerns grow, including the dry conditions linked to El Niño that have repeatedly raised fire risks in Indonesia.

The Jatiwaringin fire follows other major landfill disasters, including the Sarimukti landfill fire in West Java in 2023. Researchers linked that blaze to broader solid-waste management problems.