Firefighters and other emergency crews have worked throughout the night to contain a large fire that broke out at the Corito landfill on Saturday, 25 July.
The blaze has now been contained, according to Anguilla’s authorities, with suppression operations set to continue to address remaining hotspots.
The public is being urged to avoid the area and drivers asked to exercise caution near the landfill due to emergency operations and smoke.
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The Department of Disaster Management first reported the fire at about 6.15pm on 25 July, in a public advisory.
It said the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service, with the support of the Royal Anguilla Police Force were on the scene responding to the incident.
A few hours later, the Royal Anguilla Police Force issued its own advisory at 8pm in which it said emergency personnel and members of the public were working to bring the situation under control.
Police urged people not involved in the response to stay away from the area, warning that unnecessary congestion from onlookers could hamper emergency crews and security personnel.
“Keeping the area clear will allow emergency services to respond efficiently while ensuring the safety of responders, volunteers and the wider public,” the advisory said.
At 10.30pm, the Department of Disaster Management said fire suppression operations remained ongoing, and predicted they would continue for several days. However, no major incident was declared.
It said that significant resources remained on site including water trucks, excavators, bulldozers, airport fire and rescue appliances and contractor support crew.
“The drone team has been deployed, providing aerial imagery, video footage, and operational assessments to support response efforts,” the department added.
It stressed that critical infrastructure and nearby facilities remained safe and had been secured as a precaution.
“Emergency responders will continue to monitor conditions closely, contain hotspots and work to reduce smoke and fire spread,” the department said.
In a 3.45am update on Sunday, 24 July, the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters, who had been working tirelessly throughout the night to contain the incident, remained on the scene.
“While the fire remains active and continues to burn, we are pleased to report that it is contained and the rate of fire spread has significantly slowed,” the service said.
“Crews will continue suppression operations throughout this incident, using heavy equipment to expose hot spots and prevent further spread.”
The service thanked the public for their patience and cooperation, and urged motorists to take care when travelling near the landfill due to emergency vehicles, water tenders and smoke.
At 8.45am, the Department of Disaster Management said the fire had been contained, with emergency crews briefly leaving the site after 5am to replenish resources and rest before resuming suppression operations.
They will return to manage the site and tackle any remaining hotspots, while emergency personnel continue to monitor conditions. Forecasts indicate easterly winds are expected throughout the day.
The public is being urged to stay away from the landfill area while operations continue, with authorities reporting positive results from the response so far.
Watch a video of the fire courtesy of the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service below:
