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Date Published: 25/01/2022

ARCHIVED - Fire at Javea green waste landfill continues to burn two months on

Environmentalists fear 'mountains' of new waste at the Ramblars plant in the Marina Alta could be ignited

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Fire at Javea green waste landfill continues to burn two months on

A fire at the Ramblars waste landfill in Javea is still burning two months after it started, and environmentalists fear "mountains" of new waste and debris heaped nearby could "aggravate the blaze" further.

The fire broke out on November 21 last year, engulfing nearby residential areas in thick black smoke, the second fire at the site in five years.

According to Ecologistes en Acció (Ecologists in Action), the "real reason" why the fire has been smoldering for more than eight weeks is that the company behind the Javea plant is "accumulating a massive amount of waste and charging the council".

The action group claims "nobody seems too concerned that the fire is still burning", that no one is monitoring its evolution and no perimeter controls have been put in place.

"This is despite the fact that there are mountains of vegetation and firewood piled up close to where the flames continue to break out that could aggravate the magnitude of the fire and reactivate it further," said Ecologists in Action, which is demanding accountability for an "environmental catastrophe".

Group representatives visited the site at the weekend, and claim the underlying problem is that the waste removal company in charge is "failing to comply with deadlines and the amount of waste that must be removed on a monthly basis (1,200 tonnes)".

"The waste is accumulating constantly and uncontrolled, and this is the reason why Ramblars has had two serious fires in recent years."

The conservationists are also very critical of the attitude of Javea council.

"It has not taken any measures to prevent the past fires from happening again. Responsibilities must be clarified and tools put in place.

"In the end, taxpayers have to cover the cost of this disastrous waste management and meanwhile the residents of Javea, Gata and Poble Nou have been breathing clouds of smoke for months."

There has been no response the waste management company or the local council.

Image: Consorcio Bomberos Alicante

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