Skopje, 12 September 2025 (MIA) — Criminal police investigators have been interviewing Drisla landfill staff to see if any of them could be linked to the garbage fire, Protection and Rescue Directorate head Stojanche Angelov told a press conference Friday. 

Angelov said he had received several reports of the fire reigniting, so he called for an investigation.

"For these reasons, I asked the criminal police to enter the landfill and talk to the staff to get information on the possible causes of the landfill fire," he said. 

Without singling out suspects, the police were looking into the possibility that either an employee or a trespasser could have had anything to do with the fire reigniting, "likely somewhat prepared with a can or a bottle of gasoline to set fire to the flammable gases," Angelov said.

He said the police would be patrolling the landfill to deter trespassers.

"There will be an increased police presence near the landfill, more patrols. We will also use other methods to monitor the landfill itself to expose potential arsonists," he said.

"Because it is a little inexplicable how after we drastically suppressed the fire, the smoke went up again so much by itself," he added.

According to Angelov, heavy machinery was used to cover the smoldering landfill with dirt.

"There is simply no visible fire," he said. "Or, it will appear briefly in places and disappear." 

"This is an unpleasant smoke that certainly contains toxins, but the smoke is coming out from inside as a result of the strong chemical and biological processes taking place where the landfill leachate flows. There is no active burning at the landfill," Angelov said.

He said Drisla covered an area of ​​some 85 hectares, but most of it was not fenced.

"Only the entrance is fenced, so there is a perception it is fenced and secured. That perception is wrong," Angelov said.

"There are several cameras, but I doubt they work, especially those in the back of the landfill," he said, adding that "the landfill is easily accessible to evildoers who would like to restart the fire." mr/