Based on satellite imagery gathered by the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), the estimated burned area affected in the Navotas sanitary landfill fire has reached some 28.58 hectares or 285,800 square meters.
For comparison, PHILSA said, the burnt area is slightly larger than the Quezon Memorial Circle, which is approximately 25 to 27 hectares or 67 acres.
Fire broke out at the sanitary landfill at 10:33 in the morning of Thursday, April April 2026, and until now, there are still pockets of the blaze in several parts of the affected area.
PhilSA produced a map showing the extent of the damage and provided it to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) for proper monitoring and disposition of first responders.
PhilSA’s support through images and maps provides wide-area coverage that guides NDRRMC in responding to the situation and prioritizing areas for immediate action. By making space data accessible to stakeholders, PhilSA enables informed decision-making and strengthens disaster response.
PhilSA analyzed the near infrared band of a Sentinel-2C satellite image that captured the landfill’s proximity to human habitation. The maps, though, provided by the agency are subject to field validation.
Meanwhile, Navotas City mayor John Rey Tiangco blamed the landfill’s operator for the fire which has triggered health concerns after reports that toxic smoke from the blaze reached as far as the Bataan Peninsula and has covered many cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Air quality plummeted across Navotas City and neighboring areas over the weekend as the smoke continues to spread across the metropolis and parts of Bulacan.
While the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the blaze under control on Sunday morning, firefighters and the Philippine Air Force continued operations to extinguish smoldering waste mass and suppress thick smoke.
By early Sunday, the air quality index in Navotas reached 114, a level considered harmful to sensitive groups. Health authorities have advised residents to stay indoors, close windows and wear N95 masks if they must go outside their homes.
The smoke also prompted an emergency evacuation in Barangay Salambao in Obando, Bulacan. Local authorities moved vulnerable residents, including senior citizens and children, to Obando National High School after air quality in the coastal area sharply declined.
Mayor Tiangco clarified that the landfill is no longer under city control since its operations were terminated in August last year following the expiration of a franchise held by Philippine Ecology Systems Corporation. The site was subsequently acquired by San Miguel Aerocity Incorporated.