Bovoni Landfill fire on Sept. 14, 2023.
Ongoing fire, ablaze for six days, causes poor air quality, leading to school and business closures
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands due to an ongoing fire at the Bovoni Landfill in St. Thomas. The fire, which has been burning since September 14, has led to poor air quality, resulting in the closure of schools and businesses in the affected areas.
The fire at Bovoni Landfill is not sustainably contained, and immediate action is required to secure support to extinguish the flames. External assistance will be coordinated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, as the fire continues to burn below the surface of the landfill's green waste area.
The executive order designates Daryl George, the Fire EMS executive director, as the incident commander responsible for directing the territorial response and executing the directives for enforcement of the order. The V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been designated as the lead agency to coordinate emergency response activities. The agency will work in conjunction with the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency.
Both the incident commander and the director of VITEMA are tasked with advising the Office of the Governor on the implementation of emergency response activities to contain and ultimately extinguish the fire.
Residents are advised to stay updated on the situation and to take necessary precautions to safeguard their health due to the compromised air quality caused by the ongoing fire.
