The fire at the vast landfill and waste treatment plant in Jijona, which broke out on Sunday, is still burning but firefighters are ‘making advances in the work to extinguish it’.
A spokesperson for the provincial fire brigade said yesterday that after cooling down sections of rubbish that have been on fire, they are continuing to cover them with earth.
“We can report that the evolution is favourable and the emission of smoke has been reduced notably,” said the spokesperson.
Residents were told to close their windows and remain indoors on Sunday when the fire started at the Piedra Negra dump.
A huge black column of smoke covered the surrounding area as firefighters battled to get the blaze under control.
The regional government has issued guidance to people living close to the plant, which was published by the town hall yesterday.
They have advised residents to ‘avoid being outdoors for long periods’ and to ‘go to hospital A&E if your health gets worse’.
The town hall noted that at a nearby school the youngest children are being kept indoors.
A council spokesman said that ‘after repeated requests’ the regional government has finally installed an air quality measurement device in the town centre, which is due to start giving information today (Thursday).
They will inform residents of ‘any news or developments’.
The existing measurement facility in Jijona has revealed that the air quality is ‘reasonably good’.
Residents have been campaigning for years to have the dump site closed down, claiming that frequent fires put their health at risk.
