Burned in a landfill

A fire broke out on Saturday at the Mala Mežakla landfill near Jesenice, Slovenia. The blaze started in the afternoon hours and was initially contained within approximately half an hour. However, the situation took a turn in the evening when the fire reignited, prompting further intervention by emergency services. The incident occurred on July 25, 2026, at the Mala Mežakla landfill, located in the Jesenice area. According to reports from the Gorenjski glas, the fire began with waste packaging materials, specifically mixed and unsorted waste containers. The flames spread to around 40 square meters of the roof of an industrial hall, significantly impacting the site. Emergency responders noted that one of the main challenges was the intensity of the fire, which burned deep within a pile of waste materials. This made access difficult, requiring extensive manual removal of the debris by workers from local companies who responded immediately to the call for assistance. Forty-five firefighters were deployed during the initial response. Additional support came from personnel of several fire departments including PGD Hrušica, Jesenice, Koroška Bela, Javorniški Rovt, Planina pod Golico, and Blejska Dobrava. Water supply was ensured by units from PGD Zabreznica and PGD Kranjska Gora using mobile water tankers. A total of fifteen vehicles were present at the scene during the operation. Despite the initial containment efforts, the fire flared up again in the evening. Firefighters conducted inspections and discovered new flames at 11:30 PM. They swiftly intervened to prevent the fire from spreading further to other waste materials. Continuous monitoring was carried out until late Sunday night to ensure no recurrence. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Officials from GARS Jesenice confirmed this and added that the landfill is situated on higher ground, preventing smoke from spreading towards residential areas. The extent of damage has yet to be assessed, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Based on firefighter assessments, there is a high likelihood that the fire originated from spontaneous combustion of the waste packaging. Further analysis will be required to confirm these suspicions.