Teams from the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) are at this time trying to contain a fire which started early this morning in the northern section of the Mangrove Landfill, St Thomas.
And public relations officer Carl “Alff” Padmore is reassuring the public that the tell-tale black smoke poses no danger at this time.
“There is no immediate danger [from] the black smoke you are seeing; that would happen because naturally there are tyres burning,” he said in an update to the media.
In a bulletin on Starcom Network, residents who live in the area and have respiratory issues or asthma were advised to leave until the all clear has been given.
Padmore said a team from the Barbados Fire Service is on standby and engineers are on site dealing with the blaze.
“The team is trying to clear a path to go right into the heart of the fire, so we believe that by evening we should have it under control. There is no immediate danger.”
Private haulers are also bringing in top soil so the fire can be contained.
Padmore noted the SSA has been at a similar juncture before and the crew at the landfill knows what it has to do.
“It’s not a panic situation,” he added. (BA)