A large-scale blaze has broken out at the Ornamibo landfill, a key waste disposal site in Suriname, triggering immediate public concern over toxic fume exposure and unplanned fire containment gaps on October 26. Initial communications from local police spokesperson Michel Elskamp confirmed that the national fire service had received an emergency alert about the landfill fire but had declined to deploy units, citing a previously announced union policy that barred fire crews from responding to grass fires, waste dump blazes, and other low-priority incidents due to crippling shortages of personnel and firefighting equipment. This initial refusal sparked swift intervention from Anwar Moenne, acting director of the country’s Public Green Space and Waste Management department, who personally reached out to fire service leadership to negotiate emergency support. Moenne confirmed to local outlet Starnieuws that the fire department has since reversed its stance and committed to sending resources to assist with containment efforts, despite ongoing operational constraints facing the service. While waiting for fire crews to arrive, on-site waste management staff have begun digging perimeter trenches around the active fire zone to create a physical barrier, stopping the flames from spreading further across the sprawling landfill property. Moenne noted that the site is equipped with full CCTV surveillance coverage, and he has not ruled out arson as a potential cause of the blaze, though formal investigations to confirm the origin of the fire are still underway. Separately, District Commissioner Ernesto Muller has launched urgent consultations with top local public safety and environmental authorities to coordinate a coordinated response to both the active fire and the severe, widespread smoke pollution that is drifting to nearby residential neighborhoods. Muller has issued a public advisory to all residents living in proximity to the Ornamibo site, urging them to keep all windows and doors closed as much as possible and avoid any unnecessary outdoor activity to limit their exposure to the potentially toxic landfill smoke. Given that repeated unplanned fires have erupted at the Ornamibo landfill in recent years, Muller is also pushing for local government bodies to develop and implement a long-term, structural solution to address the site’s persistent fire risk, rather than relying on ad-hoc emergency response measures each time a blaze breaks out.