The devastating 2014 Southeast Europe floods triggered a mass wasting in one part of the landfill . As a result of the mass wasting which continued , and of the fact that the waste is not being treated , just piled on the top , a pockets of methane formed deep under the garbage layers . On 18 May 2017 several of these pockets , on different locations and at the depths of , bursted into flames . Being covered with dirt and earth , fire above the ground was extinguished quickly , but the smoldering in the deep continued . Wide section of Belgrade was covered in smoke and bad smell , sometimes completely , forcing citizens to use masks . Smoggy neighborhoods included Lešće , Višnjica , Višnjička Banja , Krnjača , Kotež , Borča , Rospi Ćuprija , Karaburma , Slanci and Veliko Selo . By 23 May 2017 the smoke reached downtown Belgrade . As the methane fire ca n't be extinguished with water , it has to be covered with earthy materials which are to isolate methane from oxygen , all trucks bringing earth to the landfill were rerouted to cover the burning section . However as that area is located on the mass wasting ground , it went slow , preventing the quick damping of the fire . As the winds changed , the smoke turned from spreading upstream the Danube to Belgrade , to downstream , in the direction of Smederevo . In order to extinguish the fire completely , for the first time was used a concentrated solution of the brown algae . The preparation acts like the fermentor , organically decomposing the matter , binding methane , ammonia , and oxygen thus preventing the spreading of the fire
2014 Southeast Europe floods
2014 Southeast Europe floods
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