Metro Manila residents urged to stay indoors, wear face masks as Navotas landfill fire worsens air quality
Residents across parts of Metro Manila are being advised to limit outdoor exposure after the Navotas landfill fire worsened air quality over the weekend.
The fire was first reported at around 8:23 p.m. on April 10 in the landfill located in Barangay Tanza and was subsequently contained on the morning of April 12 by the Bureau of Fire Protection. Despite the large blaze, no casualties were reported as the landfill is located on an island where there are no residents nearby.
Following the incident, the Environmental Management Bureau – National Capital Region has now started Rapid On-Site Validation and aerial assessments via drone on the surrounding areas.
They warned residents to be mindful of their health as the fire's smoke had significantly affected air quality in nearby cities and areas.
"Residents in affected barangays are encouraged to remain inside their homes with windows and doors closed," they advised. "We recommend the temporary suspension of outdoor activities, sports, and classes in areas where smoke or odors are prevalent."
For those who must go outside, the agency urged the use of an N95 mask or an equivalent respirator.
"This is strongly advised for high-risk individuals, including children and infants, the elderly, pregnant women, individuals with pre-existing heart or lung conditions," they stressed.
According to a statement by the Navotas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office published on the Facebook page of Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco, suppression operations to put out the remaining fire are still underway.
"Ngayong araw, upang mapabilis ang firefighting operations, nakipag-ugnayan ang LGU Navotas sa Philippine Air Force, na nagdeploy ng dalawang helicopter para sa aerial water bucket drop operations upang makatulong sa pag-apula ng apoy. Magpapatuloy muli ang aerial operations bukas ng umaga upang matiyak ang tuluyang pagkontrol sa mga natitirang hotspot at usok," the office detailed.
The air quality index in Navotas was recorded at 78 at 12:00 p.m., which later improved to 52 by around 6:00 p.m. Despite the improvement, officials said the air quality still remained at a fair level.
The EMB-NCR scores good air quality between 0 and 50, while unhealthy quality is between 101 and 150.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
