Navotas landfill catches fire, affects nearby communities

MANILA, Philippines — An inactive sanitary landfill in Navotas caught fire on Friday night affecting some communities in Malabon and in Obando, Bulacan, the Bureau of Fire Protection said yesterday.

The BFP said firefighters had difficulty in immediately extinguishing the blaze because of the need to board a fireboat to reach the burning site.

A helicopter from the Philippine Air Force assisted in putting out the fire, doing aerial water droppings yesterday, according to the Obando Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

The MDRRMO said the smoke has been affecting residents of coastal Barangays Binuangan and Salambao in Obando.

Residents were given N95 face masks and advised to refrain from going outdoors, close their houses to minimize the entry of smoke and seek medical attention when having difficulty breathing, the MDRRMO added.

Supt. Anthony Arroyo, BFP spokesperson, said the blaze could have been caused by spontaneous combustion of decomposing waste or ignition of discarded butane lighters.

Jesus Toledo, who lives in Barangay Dalumpit in Malabon, told reporters that a grassfire might have contributed to the blaze at the landfill.

“Probably, due to extreme heat, the grass ignited and the fire spread,” Toledo said.

The landfill was closed in August 2025 as a result of the expropriation case filed by the San Miguel Aerocity Inc. for projects related to the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan.