site.btaLargest Landfill Near Skopje Burns for Over 24 Hours

The largest landfill near Skopje, Drisla, has been burning for more than 24 hours. After it became clear that the fire could not be extinguished with water, efforts began Wednesday to cover the burning waste with soil, said Stojance Angelov, Director of the Protection and Rescue Directorate. 

Because of the state of crisis over wildfires declared in North Macedonia, the Central Crisis Management Headquarters has taken charge of the situation at Drisla and has asked the government to ban all movement near Vardarishte, another burning landfill near the capital.

Angelov said that charges have already been filed against three individuals accused of dumping waste illegally and running makeshift scrap collection points without legal registration or the required waste management permits. He expressed the hope that both Drisla and Vardarishte would be fully covered with soil by the end of the day, which is a temporary solution. 

The smell from the two burning sites has spread across much of Skopje and nearby villages.

During a visit to Gazi Baba Municipality on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that Drisla would be rehabilitated and transformed into a modern European waste disposal site with an energy-producing plant. He cautioned that there is no quick solution but noted that air quality monitoring shows pollution levels are not alarming.