Firefighters continue to tackle the fire at George Town landfill on Friday morning following the blaze which caused traffic disruption and school closures in the nearby area.
The fire, which broke out just before 1pm on Thursday afternoon, is understood to be 85% extinguished after the Cayman Islands Fire Service spent the night battling the flames using water to extinguish the fire and excavators to expose deep hot spots.
However, surface fires continue to reignite in isolated sections of the site – known as Mount Trashmore – due to heat pockets causing flare-ups.
Two fire officers had to be taken to hospital for medical evaluation during the night and government said that the safety and wellbeing of first responders remained a priority.
Both officers received medical evaluation and care, and their conditions were not considered life threatening at this time. One firefighter was treated for respiratory-related issues, including smoke inhalation and the other officer was treated for back pain and strain sustained during prolonged operations.
Residents in nearby areas were advised to remain indoors, keeping windows and doors closed where possible, and the Cayman Islands Red Cross shelter opened overnight to house people affected by the landfill fire.
Fire chiefs declared a critical incident after the blaze broke out, sending thick black smoke billowing across the highway. Police closed the Esterley Tibbetts Highway between the AL Thompson roundabout and Jay Bodden Highway early Thursday afternoon.
One northbound and one southbound lane of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, between the AL Thompson’s roundabout and the Jay Bodden Highway, have now been reopened to vehicular traffic.
A 20 mph speed limit is in effect.
Traffic remains heavy along West Bay Road. Motorists are urged to proceed with caution and follow all instructions from officers when travelling through these areas.
Schools closed
Education Minister Rolston Anglin announced the closure of five schools on Friday due to the ongoing fire and smoke: Bloom Learning Centre, Cayman International School, Footsteps School, Marie Martin Primary School and St. George’s Anglican Preschool.
Government said that current operations are focused on extinguishing recurrent surface flare-ups, reinforcing capped sections with additional cover material, monitoring deep hot spots, maintaining fire breaks, and continuing machine-assisted capping.
Due to traffic congestion on West Bay Road, motorists travelling towards West Bay and Seven Mile Beach are encouraged to travel via Industrial Park, Sparky Drive and the Jay Bodden Highway, as traffic on this alternate route is moving more freely.
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