COIMBATORE : A fire broke out once again at the Vellalore dumpyard in Coimbatore on Thursday midnight. Firefighters extinguished the blaze early on Friday.
A massive fire that had broken out here on April 6 was put out in a couple of days but the smoke was yet to be contained completely. Due to the breezy weather on Thursday night, the smouldering garbage piles at the facility caught fire once again.
Speaking to TNIE, an official from the CCMC sanitary department said, “Around 12 fire trucks have been deployed to douse the fire and contain the smoke. The smoke from the previous fire is yet to be fully controlled. Wind on Thursday night fanned the embers, leading to the fire. It was extinguished by the firefighters in the wee hours of Friday. We are expecting rain in the next couple of days. If it rains, the smoke will completely settle down.”
The dry garbage piles are prone to fire due to the record-high summer temperatures this year. A week ago over 100 firefighters from Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode districts were called in to put out the fire.
People living near the dumpyard have reported breathing difficulties and other health issues. The air quality deteriorated subsequently. The latest fire may worsen the situation.