Many of the children who live near the garbage dump were taken to the RGD clinic at Houttuin because of breathing probelms. “Most of these children who are between the ages 6 and 12 complained about the smoke that was produced by the fire,” said the doctor who works at this RGD clinic. Some of these children have a history of breathing problems and were also the ones who were hit hardest by the smoke that was produced recently. “Most of the patients who showed up at the clinic are children whobattend classes at the local primary school.” The smoke not only affected the public health but it also disrupted the education process. Several schools were kept closed because of the thick smoke. Even the RGD clinic was hit by the smoke. The persistent smoke is a clear indication that a structural solution is needed to tackle fires at Ornamibo in order to protect the public health. Smoke inhalation is when you breathe in large amounts of smoke, like if you’re in a house, vehicle or forest fire. The smoke can damage your airways and lungs. It can also carry chemicals like carbon monoxide and cyanide that can be deadly if you breathe in too much of them. Go to the emergency room or seek immediate medical attention if you’ve been in a fire, have symptoms of smoke inhalation or think you’ve inhaled a large amount of smoke. Even smaller amounts of smoke, like from wildfires that are far away, can irritate your airways and eyes. It’s important to stay inside with the windows closed or wear a mask if there’s smoke in the air. This is especially true if you have a condition that affects your airways, like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or asthma.