Fire at Ariyamangalam dump yard brought under control

A crew of fire fighters and Tiruchi Corporation workers have brought the fire that broke out at the garbage dump yard at Ariyamangalam on Tuesday under control.

A crew of fire fighters and Tiruchi Corporation workers have brought the fire that broke out at the garbage dump yard at Ariyamangalam on Tuesday under control.

Mayor M. Anbazhagan and Commissioner R. Vaithinathan inspected the dump yard on Wednesday to take stock of the fire fighting operations. Mr. Vaithinathan told The Hindu, ”the fire is under control and steps are underway to ensure that the embers are doused completely”.

He also said that though the smoke was heavy, the fire had been restricted to a few mounds. Out of the 44 acres of accumulated legacy waste in the dump yard two years ago, the Corporation has cleared and reclaimed nearly 40 acres of land through bio-mining.

Sources in the Fire and Rescue Service Department said since the wind was strong, the operation to douse the fire turned a tough and time-consuming task. However, a crew of fire fighters and six fire tenders have been deployed for the operation. “The fire has been brought under control and excavators are being used to dig up to ensure the fire is extinguished till the bottom of the mounds,” sources added.

On Tuesday, a fire was noticed on a mound of garbage close to Ambikapuram Road at the Ariyamangalam dump yard in the afternoon. The area was soon engulfed in a dense cloud of white smoke. Burning of firewood by a resident nearby was said to have caused the fire.