Toxic Underground Fires Are Spreading at California Landfills

Three years ago, California environmental regulators stumbled upon garbage burning deep within the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, according to the Los Angeles Times. Little did they know, this discovery would lead to a calamitous chain of events. The landfill's pollution control system somehow introduced oxygen deep below, sparking decades-old waste to decompose rapidly, generating intense heat and eventually causing widespread smoldering, federal and state environmental agencies explain.

The scorching temperatures released toxic gases and hazardous liquid waste, which bubbled up to the surface.

Those living in nearby communities of Val Verde and Castaic have lodged thousands of complaints about the foul smell and have suffered from nausea, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. The underground fire has tripled in size since its initial confirmation in 2023. Recently, a massive mound of landfill garbage perched on the hillside has warped and threatens to cause an avalanche of garbage and chemical-filled liquid, known as leachate, according to the California water board.

Initially, local officials in Los Angeles County described the problem at Chiquita Canyon landfill as a rare and unprecedented disaster. However, they later learned that at least two other landfills in California are grappling with high temperatures and similar conditions. Scorching temperatures have now taken over at least 30 acres of the El Sobrante landfill near Corona in Riverside County, while excessive heat and emissions have also been detected at the Avenal landfill in the San Joaquin Valley.

These discoveries have raised an unsettling question: how many landfills across California are dealing with these disasters? Are they a broader problem in the state?

Chiquita Canyon landfill closed at the end of 2024 and stopped accepting new garbage, but the fire is expected to persist for years as it continues to consume decades-old trash. Underground landfill fires are complex and nearly impossible to extinguish once they break out, as explained by the regulators. As they search for a solution, residents are left to endure the wait. Some have resorted to wearing gas masks or even sold their homes.