Virgin Gorda Dumpsite Remains Closed
A fire at the Virgin Gorda dumpsite has continued to burn for more than 48 hours, keeping the facility closed while emergency responders battle the persistent blaze. Public health officials urge residents to protect themselves from heavy smoke as the incident renews focus on recurring waste management challenges across the Territory.
Emergency response teams are continuing efforts to contain a persistent blaze at the Virgin Gorda dumpsite, prompting government authorities to keep the waste management facility closed to the public as the fire burned past the 48-hour mark. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the blaze originally started around noon on Saturday, September 26.
In response to the outbreak, the Department of Waste Management mobilized a collaborative operation alongside the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Service and local private contractors to bring the flames under control. Responders carried out extensive smothering operations to extinguish portions of the fire throughout Saturday and worked well into the night.
Despite these containment efforts, the fire continued to produce heavy smoke across the surrounding area. Operations resumed with heavy machinery, excavators, and water tenders working to suppress hot spots, though no reopening date has been set. Due to thick smoke drifting into neighboring communities, public health officials are advising residents to stay indoors with windows and doors tightly shut.
Community members are also urged to avoid unnecessary outdoor physical activities. Health authorities emphasized that vulnerable individuals, including infants, young children, older adults, and those with asthma or cardiovascular conditions, must take heightened precautions and seek medical attention if experiencing breathing difficulties, dizziness, or severe coughing.
The incident marks the latest in a series of fires at the Virgin Gorda facility, which was previously forced to shut down in early July before reopening once emergency crews contained that outbreak. Historical records show the facility also suffered a fire in July 2023 that produced lingering smoke and persistent underground pockets of fire.
The situation on Virgin Gorda reflects a wider, ongoing struggle with waste disposal sites across the British Virgin Islands. Other facilities have faced similar emergencies, including suspected arson incidents at the Anegada dumpsite and recurring blazes at Tortola's Pockwood Pond facility caused by spontaneous combustion and unauthorized scrap metal retrieval.
In 2018, a massive fire at the Cox Heath debris site burned for over three weeks before being fully extinguished. While the Department of Waste Management previously announced strategies to combat these blazes—including daily compacted soil coverings, enhanced security, surveillance monitoring, and waste diversion programmes—the recurrence of site fires continues to raise questions regarding long-term waste management and site security across the Territory.
For now, officials urge the public to avoid the Virgin Gorda dumpsite to allow response teams and heavy machinery to operate safely.
Primary source: BVI Government