On Thursday, June 22nd, the Municipality of Mérida reported that at approximately 10:25 am, a fire broke out on the west side of the landfill located at kilometer 2 of the Susulá-Chalmuch road, near kilometer 43 of the Periférico, which is now under control.
According to the authorities, the fire may have been caused by the high temperatures in the city, which created a magnifying glass effect on some of the waste that reaches the landfill as its final destination.
To prevent the flames from spreading and ensure the safety of the employees at the site and nearby residents, members of the Fire Department immediately responded to combat the fire using fire trucks, in addition to the trucks from the concessionaire Veolia and private fire trucks.
In the firefighting operation, the Municipal Public Services Department, through the Parks and Gardens division, provided four water trucks for replenishing water.
Furthermore, municipal and state Civil Protection personnel remain at the scene to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of the nearby population.
It is estimated that the fire will be fully extinguished within a period of five to six hours.
Following the instructions of the firefighters, the entry of waste collection trucks into the landfill was halted for an hour and a half, and then resumed with limited access for three trucks, for safety reasons.
TYT Newsroom