Recycled mattresses caught fire at Keelung Tianwaitian landfill, with multiple areas affected by the stench

A mattress recycling fire broke out at the Tianwaitian Landfill in Keelung City yesterday. The stench was so pervasive that people continued to complain. Even wearing a mask with the windows closed was still uncomfortable. (Provided by Keelung City Government)

More than 1,700 recycled mattresses in the temporary storage area of Tianwaitian Landfill in Keelung City caught fire for unknown reasons yesterday (September 30) afternoon. The fire was violent and was brought under control yesterday evening. It was still smoldering until the early morning of today (September 1). Firefighters were struggling to put out the fire. Xinyi District, where the Tianwaitian Cemetery is located, was the first to be affected. People's lives in Zhongzheng District and Ren'ai District were also severely affected. People smelled a strong plastic stench all night long and found it difficult to close the windows and wear masks.

Recycling mattress fires produce a large amount of granular pollutants and odors, causing air pollution problems, affecting seven administrative districts of Keelung City, but the air pollution in neighboring Xinyi, Zhongzheng, Renai and other districts is relatively serious. Keelung City Environmental Protection Director Ma Zhonghao said that whether penalties will be imposed in accordance with the Air Pollution Prevention Law will not be determined until the cause of the fire is investigated.

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The Environmental Protection Bureau stated that waste spring mattresses were originally piled at the site where the fire broke out, and the relevant dismantling and recycling operations were undertaken by the commissioned manufacturer. The manufacturer arrived at the site yesterday with operating equipment and was originally scheduled to carry out mattress disassembly and recycling operations yesterday. However, a fire broke out before dismantling began. The relevant construction personnel have been questioned by the police and firefighters. The actual cause of the fire still needs further investigation to clarify.

The Environmental Protection Bureau dispatched two heavy-duty machines, such as fire fighters, to the site for support to speed up on-site fire-fighting and clean-up operations. In addition, in view of the impact on air quality caused by the fire smoke, the city government has required the Environmental Protection Bureau to continuously monitor changes in air quality and wind direction to understand possible affected areas. The Xinyi District Office assisted in contacting nearby district chiefs to understand residents’ needs and convey relevant protection information.

The Health Bureau reminds residents in areas affected by fire smoke to close doors and windows as much as possible, reduce going out, and wear masks if they go out. People with respiratory diseases such as asthma, patients with cardiovascular diseases, the elderly, young children and pregnant women should pay special attention to their physical condition; if they feel unwell after inhaling smoke, they should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and proactively inform the doctor of possible exposure to fire smoke.

Xie Guoliang yesterday convened relevant bureaus to hold a cross-bureau contingency meeting. Since the relevant bureaus and departments continued to stay at the fire scene to understand the disaster relief situation, the meeting was held via video conference, taking stock of the follow-up treatment of the fire scene, air quality, site safety and environmental restoration, etc., and required all units to grasp the latest situation in real time, maintain horizontal contact, and ensure the smooth connection of various response measures. Xie Guoliang said that although the fire is currently under control, residual fire treatment and safety confirmation are still ongoing at the scene. The city government will continue to understand the latest situation and require all units to conduct on-site monitoring to avoid re-ignition.

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