Tips · 12 October 2026 · 4 minute read
Why burning refuse in the harmattan hurts your street
From November to February the air in Abeokuta turns dry and still. It is also when refuse fires do the most harm.
Smoke that will not lift
In the rainy season, smoke from a refuse fire rises and blows away. In the harmattan, cool dry air sits close to the ground at night and in the early morning, and smoke spreads sideways through the street instead. It gets into bedrooms, onto washing and into the lungs of children and older people.
Burning plastic is worse than burning leaves. Sachets, bottles and foam packs give off fumes that irritate the eyes and throat, and the black smoke carries soot that settles on everything.
Fires that jump fences
Dry grass and dead leaves catch quickly. Every harmattan, fire services in Ogun State respond to fires that began as a small heap of refuse at the back of a compound and reached a fence, a car or a roof.
Wind in the afternoon can carry a burning sachet a long way. If you must clear dry leaves, bag them for collection instead of lighting them.
Many people burn because no one collects. Fixed days change that.
What to do instead
Keep a lidded bin and use your collection days. If you are not on a route, ask us for a price for your street, or speak to your landlord or residents association about joining an estate contract.
Bag garden leaves and cuttings in bundles under one metre. On twice weekly and family plus plans they go to compost at the yard with your food scraps.
If a neighbour burns refuse often, talk kindly first. Many people burn because no one collects. Sharing this page with them may help.
If smoke gets in
Close windows on the smoky side of the house and wet a cloth to wipe dust from surfaces. If anyone in the home has asthma or a chest condition and struggles to breathe, see a doctor or go to the nearest clinic.
This article shares general information and is not medical advice.
In short
- Harmattan air traps smoke near the ground
- Burning plastic is the most harmful
- Bag leaves for collection instead of burning
- Talk kindly to neighbours who burn
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