Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Q.R. — Firefighters battled a stubborn garbage dump fire in Felipe Carrillo Puerto Tuesday afternoon. The fire generated plumes of thick white smoke that could be seen for kilometers along the 295 federal highway.
The fire was reported around noon, prompting the deployment of firefighters to the municipal dump located approximately 10 kilometers northwest of the town. Once on site, brigades confirmed that the fire covered an area of approximately 100 by 50 meters with active fire sources in different parts of the dump.
Firemen were able to extinguish approximately 90 percent of the fire after more than an hour of intense work. However, despite their efforts, smoke persisted due to burning debris such as tires, which made it difficult to completely extinguish the fire.
The thick smoke not only affected visibility on the federal highway, but also caused concern among residents in nearby communities who reported respiratory irritation to municipal authorities.
Due to the reduced visibility from the smoky fire, authorities recommended that drivers take extreme precautions when driving through the area and, as far as possible, avoid prolonged exposure to smoke.
Firefighters said they will maintain surveillance in the area to deal with any possible reignition since the burning waste still represents a risk. Municipal authorities have not determined a cause for the fire.
