Durban - The Curry’s Post landfill site will remain closed to the public until further notice after a fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning and was extinguished hours later, according to uMngeni Local Municipality mayor Chris Pappas.
Pappas said in a statement on Wednesday before noon that only small smouldering patches remained following the fire.
“The fire at the Curry’s Post landfill site, which started in the early hours of this morning, has been brought under control and lately extinguished,” he said.
He further explained that the situation would be monitored as with landfill site fires there is always the risk of the fire restarting due to underground fires or heat.
“The landfill site remains closed to the public until further notice.”
Pappas said he would provide an update later in the day.
He said municipal waste collection will continue as normal
“Once again, a huge thank you to SAPPI and S.O.S forestry for their assistance and quick response,” added Pappas.
A public notice on the municipality’s Facebook page said: “The New England Landfill Site in PMB is the nearest site for waste disposal.”
Meanwhile, “The Mercury” reported last year that Msunduzi Municipality celebrated two years without any major fires at its landfill site on New England Road.
The report said that the landfill has been a source of complaints by residents for a number of years, and fires in 2020 led to some of them having to vacate their homes due to the toxic smoke.