Analysis and measures of landfill fire prevention

Abstract

Large quantities of solid municipal waste containing a variety of flammable substances, that are disposed of in sanitary and non-sanitary landfills and even illegal dump sites, usually entail a high risk of fire. The level of risk is increased by the presence of methane which is released by municipal waste decomposition. The number of landfill fires varies depending on the morphological composition of the waste, ignition sources, meteorological conditions, time of year, as well as fire protection measures. The paper describes the impact of flammable waste on landfill fires, as well as causes, frequency and procedures in preventing and extinguishing landfill fires.