The Lautoka City Council (LCC) is working round-the-clock to control the Vunato dump fire that began over a week ago.
Smoke from the landfill has been hovering over nearby settlements, residences and businesses over the past eight days.
LCC board of special administrators chairperson Taitusi Rasoki Kata said they were doing their best to contain the blaze.
“The one thing we want the public to know is that this is not a surface fire,” said Mr Rasoki.
“This is four acres of waste that is burning a few metres below ground level.
“So the fire can be starting from a very deep area beneath the waste, and we would not know.
“We will only know when there is smoke coming out of a certain part of the site.
“Right now that is what our officers are doing, which is putting out the fire where there is smoke.”
He said there was no permanent solution to this current fire.
“Right now we don’t have a permanent strategy that we can put in place to eradicate the fire.
“The best we can do right now is to have our people on the ground working 24 hours to put the fire out.”
Meanwhile, Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma said the failure of authorities to address the ongoing landfill fire and smoke emissions in Lautoka had polluted the air of surrounding communities and disrupted daily life for residents.
“This enduring inaction points to a troubling lack of readiness, coordination, and accountability from the agencies responsible for waste management and public health,” said Mr Sharma in a statement.
“The health of Lautoka’s residents is deteriorating under the weight of toxic smoke and irritants.
“The Government must mobilise the full spectrum of resources like fire services, health authorities, and disaster management to extinguish the fire, protect public health, and restore residents’ confidence that their safety comes first.”
