Second fire in one week erupts at Cook’s Sanitary Landfill in Antigua 

Antigua and Barbuda: A major fire at the Cook’s Sanitary Landfill in Antigua is now smouldering after the fire officials brought it under control on Friday. The officials reported that this was second such incident at the disposal site which occurred within a span of one week.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) of Antigua and Barbuda confirmed the incident and said that a minor flare-up took place at around 3 45 am at the same location where a massive blaze had erupted the previous Friday (February 27, 2026).

Unlike the fire last week which caused the temporary ban of the landfill, the facility remained open after yesterday’s incident. Talking about the incident, NSWMA Chairman Danley Phillip said that as recently as Thursday, the situation had appeared stable which made the early morning development all the more unexpected.

After the blaze was noticed by staff, the general manager of NSWMA visited the scene while efforts were already underway to contain the blaze. The St John’s Fire Station responded to the report and worked to bring the fire under control with the assistance of his team.

The manager reported that crews faced some difficulty during their efforts to contain the blaze with conditions at the site presenting various challenges. He said that soil in the impacted area had not been completely compacted and strong winds further complicated containment efforts.

The officials further noted that investigations are underway to find the cause of the latest incident, but it is believed that the fire may have been rekindled by conditions which stemmed from the last fire. The fire last week was described as the largest in the history of the landfill and it remains under separate investigation.

The blaze prompted Member of Parliament for St John’s Rural West Richard Lewis to renew calls for the authorities to execute long-overdue safety measures at the facility. As efforts continue to contain the area and prevent further flare-ups, the NSWMA is urging residents in nearby communities to take necessary precautions, especially those who suffer from respiratory conditions.