Fire breaks out at Conaree landfill in St Kitts, smoke spreads across communities

St. Kitts and Nevis: A major fire broke out in the Conaree landfill of St. Kitts on June 15, 2026. The incident was reported officially by the Solid Waste Management Corporation through an immediate media release.

The fire originated in the Construction and Demolition (C&D) cell of the SWMC and spread further despite immediate action. The statement read, “The fire originated in our Construction and Demolition (C&D) Cell. Despite the immediate deployment of our suppression resources, the intensity of the fire exceeded our on-site control efforts, which unfortunately allowed it to spread to the tyre storage area of the facility. Response and containment operations are actively ongoing.”

The department also took note of the danger posed to the Robert L. Bradshaw (RLB) International Airport due to its vicinity in the fire event area. However, St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) has confirmed that operations are underway normally at the airport. A recent video from the official page of RLB Airport shows a United flight set to take off from the runway confirming that the airport is fully functional.

The authority has taken in consideration the risk posed to the residents, businesspeople and other stakeholders due to this event and takes full responsibility to keep “the public fully informed as the situation develops”.

SWMC has urged the citizens to be mindful of the smoke and air quality conditions in their surrounding areas. Necessary precautions such as keeping the entrances closed, limiting outdoor activities and staying in touch with the notifications from the official authorities have been advised.

The authority expressed gratitude to the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force, SCASPA as well as the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services for their laborious efforts and their collaboration which led to the management of the event.

Synchronously, deep apologies were presented to the public for the disruption caused by the event and prompt actions to ensure security were also promised.

In similar regard, the office of the Department of Environment was announced closed for 16th June. The operations are expected to resume on 17th.

The videos of the incident are surfacing online with large plumes of smoke easily discernible from kilometres away as it engulfed the whole skies of St. Kitts.

This reminds of a similar fire event that happened in the same Conaree Landfill operated by the SWMC in February, 2025. Back then, the cause of the incident was quoted as heat buildup inside the waste layers which lead to release of landfill gases, such as methane further causing the internal ignition within decomposing waste. This minor ignition led to a major fire breakout.

Various communities of St. Kitts as well as near surrounding communities including Cayon, Conaree, Keys, and St. Peter’s were affected.

It was handled by use of heavy equipment to break apart burning waste cells and then smother and isolate the hotspots. In addition, a public apology was issued for smoke and inconvenience.

Later, the Government emphasized the need for improved landfill management, expanded recycling systems and long-term waste reduction strategies as the incident exposed the structural waste-management challenges at Conaree.