POLOKWANE – If you reside in the eastern parts of the city, the past few days may have been filled with a smoky haze.
This is due to a fire at the landfill site which the Polokwane Municipality says was discovered by the security personnel of the landfill site a few days ago.
In a statement, the municipality says due to the presence of methane gas, which is highly flammable (generated from the breakdown of the waste matter), it was difficult to extinguish the fire completely, especially the smouldering part.
However, the municipality says it is working closely with external expertise to deal with the situation.
“A huge area was affected and measures are being deployed to prevent continuous smouldering and emission of smoke,” the statement read.
The cause of the fire is not known, but the municipality says there is suspicion that intruders entered the site, stole recycled material and in order to conceal the theft, they then burnt the recycling area, where the fire actually started.
The fire burnt the recycled material and spread to the area where the garden waste is stored.
The municipality has apologised for any inconvenience caused to residents and other stakeholders and says smoke may reach residential areas closest to the site as the wind blows in their direction.
