Camille Naredo

Personnel from DPWH, BFP, Navotas LGU, and the Philippine Coast Guard navigate the Navotas Sanitary Landfill amid thick haze and dust during a site inspection on Thursday morning, April 16, 2026. Eon Sanchez, ABS-CBN News

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NAVOTAS SANITARY LANDFILL- FIRE

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177727979535220260416-navotas-landfill-fire-inspection-ES6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Personnel from DPWH, BFP, Navotas LGU, and the Philippine Coast Guard navigate the Navotas Sanitary Landfill amid thick haze and dust during a site inspection on Thursday morning, April 16, 2026. Eon Sanchez, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Personnel from DPWH, BFP, Navotas LGU, and the Philippine Coast Guard navigate the Navotas Sanitary Landfill amid thick haze and dust during a site inspection on Thursday morning, April 16, 2026. <em>Eon Sanchez, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- More than two weeks since a massive fire erupted at the Navotas landfill, authorities admit the blaze remains far from fully extinguished, as responders confront a uniquely dangerous and technically complex disaster site.</p><p>The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) on Monday said the fire, first reported on April 10, continues to burn beneath layers of waste across a sprawling dumpsite, with only partial progress achieved through ongoing soil capping and compaction operations supported by multiple agencies and international partners.</p><p>&quot;Iba&#x27;t ibang ahensya na ang nakatutok dito. At meron na nga iba pang bansa tulad ng Japan Government. Ang JICA po ay nagbigay na rin ng technical advisory, at sila mismo ay pumunta sa sea… Aang ginagawa ngayon ay compacting at saka iyong soil capping,&quot; BFP spokesperson Fire Superintendent Anthony Arroyo said, referring to assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.</p><p>The landfill, which spans approximately 41 hectares, has seen around 33 hectares affected by the fire. As of the latest assessment, only 40 to 50 percent of the impacted area has been covered through soil compaction and capping, the primary method being used to suppress the flames.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/4/27/valenzuela-air-quality-remains-unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups-1603">READ: Valenzuela air quality remains &#x27;unhealthy&#x27; for sensitive groups—DENR</a></div><p>Arroyo emphasized that the situation is unlike a typical fire incident, requiring an engineering-based response rather than conventional firefighting.</p><p>&quot;Hindi siya ordinaryong sunog, hindi rin siya ordinaryong materials ang involved. At may kalawakan iyong involved na area. At iyon nga, lately lang nagkaroon ng daan patungong isla. Again, sa ngayon, bulubundukin pa rin. Kaya kailangan i-compact natin nang maayos,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>EARLY SETBACKS AND LOGISTICAL HURDLES</strong></div><p>In the initial days of the response, accessibility posed a major challenge. The landfill, effectively an island of waste, was unreachable by land, forcing fire trucks to be ferried via roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessels, with operations dependent on tidal conditions.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/16/access-issue-hinders-efforts-to-suppress-navotas-landfill-fire-1356">READ: Access issue hinders efforts to suppress Navotas landfill fire</a></div><p>&quot;Noong unang mga linggo ay walang accessibility pa ang firetrucks natin patungo doon sa nasabing isla. Makakarating lang iyong mga nasabing mga firetrucks ng inyong BFP at iba pang private partners natin ay sa pamagitan ng provided na RORO, at nakadepende pa iyon kung high tide,&quot; Arroyo explained.</p><p>A 2.6-kilometer access road has since been constructed from the mainland, significantly improving the delivery of heavy equipment and soil needed for capping operations.</p><p>The fire&#x27;s persistence is largely attributed to the nature of landfill fires, where decomposing waste produces methane gas that can ignite beneath the surface. The terrain itself, described as mountainous piles of garbage, remains unstable, limiting the movement of both fire trucks and heavy machinery.</p><p>&quot;Sa ilalim kasi niyan, iyong layered-layered na basura. Sa umaga, kita natin iyong usok lang. Pero sa gabi, ay dahil sa malakas na naman iyong hangin, na-introduce na naman iyong oxygen sa ilalim, nagkakaraon pa rin ng hot spot,&quot; Arroyo said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/24/japanese-experts-arrive-in-ph-to-assist-in-navotas-landfill-fire-1431">READ: Japanese experts arrive in PH to assist in Navotas landfill fire</a></div><p>Traditional firefighting methods, such as flooding the area with water, are not viable as doing so could damage the landfill&#x27;s liner system. Instead, responders rely on controlled misting and gradual soil coverage.</p><p>&quot;Hindi rin siya pwedeng i-total flooding e, or sobrang basa. Dahil ang sabi ng mga eksperto natin, na mayroon &#x27;yang liner sa ilalim. So hindi rin natin pwede i-compromise iyong liner sa ilalim ng mga landfill na &#x27;yan. So kaya misting lang ang ginagawa,&quot; he added.</p><p>Conditions on the ground remain hazardous. Toxic fumes, extreme heat, and unstable footing pose constant threats to personnel. In some cases, the heat beneath the surface has been intense enough to damage protective gear.</p><p>&quot;Alam niyo iyong mga responders natin noong mga unang linggo dahil nga hindi siya passable dahil bulubundukin iyong mga basura doon. Habang naglalakad, &#x27;pag lumubog nga iyong bota, halos nalulusaw nga iyong bota. Gano&#x27;n kainit iyong ilalim,&quot; Arroyo recounted.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NO CLEAR END IN SIGHT</strong></div><p>At present, the BFP deploys three to four fire trucks daily, along with no fewer than 50 personnel, focusing on safety monitoring, equipment cooling, and support for soil capping operations.</p><p>While progress is being made, Arroyo acknowledged that no definitive timeline can be given for when the fire will be fully extinguished.</p><p>&quot;On behalf ng BFP, ang aming maipangako diyan, hindi namin &#x27;yan iiwanan hangga&#x27;t may kaunting usok at hindi pa totally na-suppress. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa natin na-declare ang fire out, kaya hindi &#x27;yan namin iiwanan,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>More than two weeks since a massive fire erupted at the Navotas landfill, authorities admit the blaze remains far from fully extinguished, as responders confront a uniquely dangerous and technically complex disaster site.</p>

More than two weeks since a massive fire erupted at the Navotas landfill, authorities admit the blaze remains far from fully extinguished, as responders confront a uniquely dangerous and technically complex disaster site.

Navotas landfill fire enters third week as responders race against toxic threats; Japanese experts join response

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Navotas landfill fire enters third week as responders race against toxic threats; Japanese experts join response

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 27, 2026 04:54 PM PHT

Read More:

Navotas Landfill

Fire

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DENR-EMB

Air Quality

JICA

Bureau of Fire Protection

Japan

Japan International Cooperation Agency

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