Waste Management Agency Explains Summer Landfill Fires

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Waste Management Agency has refuted claims circulating on social media that solid municipal waste landfills are allegedly being set on fire intentionally to reduce waste volume. The explanation was prompted by a major fire at a solid municipal waste landfill in Ohangaron.

The agency emphasized that such allegations do not correspond to reality. According to the agency, arson is unprofitable for both the state and landfill operators, as extinguishing large fires requires significant expenditures on water, special equipment, fuel, soil, and the deployment of a large number of specialists.

Furthermore, tenders for organizing waste sorting have already been announced for 98 out of the country's 137 landfills. The agency noted that waste recycling presents a much greater economic interest for businesses than dealing with the aftermath of fires.

Specialists identify four main causes of landfill fires during hot weather.

The primary cause is organic waste, which accounts for about 44 percent of the total waste volume. In high temperatures, organic waste decomposes intensively, releasing methane and carbon monoxide. Methane is a highly flammable gas, meaning even a small spark or local overheating can cause a fire. According to agency estimates, up to 350,000 cubic meters of methane can be generated on a one-hectare landfill.

The second factor involves aerosol cans, lighters, and other pressurized containers. Although they make up only about 0.9 percent of household waste, they can explode in extreme heat and become a source of ignition.

Glass bottles and fragments are cited as another cause. Under direct sunlight, glass can create a lens effect, concentrating light and heating plastic, polyethylene, and other combustible materials to their ignition temperatures.

The fourth factor is hot ash, which residents and food service establishments sometimes discard along with household waste. The agency explained that even seemingly cooled ash can retain high internal temperatures for up to two days, causing smoldering and subsequent ignition after arriving at the landfill.

The agency also recalled that solid municipal waste landfills are classified as strategic facilities and cannot be privately owned. In accordance with a presidential decree, all landfills must be transferred to the management of the state Directorate for Landfill Management under the Ministry of Ecology. However, the transfer process for certain facilities is not yet complete. At these landfills, violations of waste disposal technologies, including the lack of layered placement, compaction, and daily soil coverage, can increase the risk of fires.

The agency emphasized that landfill fires are a common problem in many countries worldwide, including European nations, the United States, and India.

According to the agency, 19 fires at solid municipal waste landfills have been registered in Uzbekistan since the beginning of 2026. By comparison, 44 such incidents were recorded during the entire year of 2025.

To ensure prompt responses, water pumps, water tankers, and fire hoses are permanently stationed at landfills. Once a fire is extinguished, the ignition sites are covered with soil and compacted to prevent reignition.

Finally, the Waste Management Agency urged residents and food service business owners not to discard hot ash and other potentially hazardous waste with household trash, as this significantly increases the risk of fires.