[Octokiddie]

> Hundreds of feet underground, in a long-dormant portion of Chiquita Canyon landfill, tons of garbage have been smoldering for months due to an enigmatic chemical reaction.

It doesn't sound enigmatic. It sounds like anaerobic respiration:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_respiration

> ... In aerobic organisms undergoing respiration, electrons are shuttled to an electron transport chain, and the final electron acceptor is oxygen. Molecular oxygen is an excellent electron acceptor. Anaerobes instead use less-oxidizing substances such as nitrate (NO3), fumarate (C4H2O24), sulfate (SO24), or elemental sulfur (S). These terminal electron acceptors have smaller reduction potentials than O2. Less energy per oxidized molecule is released. Therefore, anaerobic respiration is less efficient than aerobic.

In short, heavy rainfall in the last year combined with decades of organic waste disposal in the landfills (think yard trimmings, discarded food, and other organic matter) have resulted in an enormous, uncontrolled underground anaerobic respiration problem in Southern California.

[throwup238]

The temperatures are approaching boiling and are melting the PVC embedded in the landfill for gas removal. Unless it’s some really crazy new extremophile we’ve never seen before (which is definitely possible), it’s unlikely to be biological. CalRecycle said they’ve been seeing elevated oxygen in gas wells in the area for years and now are seeing elevated carbon monoxide levels that implies something is burning.

The other dump with the water intrusion has that biological problem, but the one that’s almost burning probably isn’t.

[lostlogin]

The article suggests it may be on fire.

[solardev]

Sufficient anorebic decomposition, mixed with hot and dry climates like LA's and a buildup of flammable gases, can cause spontaneous combustion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill_fire?wprov=sfla1

[intrasight]

Here in PA we have dozens of coal seams and clum heaps and slag mountains on fire - and have for like decades. There's a special PA EPA fund for dealing with it.

[haltist]

The person you are responding to described fire. Think about it.

[GeoAtreides]

> described fire

I can just imagine my mitochondria right now pointing to the electron transport chain and saying "shit's on fire, yo"

[ethbr1]

Believe the kids just shortened that to "electron transport chain is fire" nowadays.

[mlyle]

Not really. Bacteria oxidizing things with stuff other than molecular oxygen isn't what most people would call fire.

[refurb]

The article suggests oxygen is the problem.

The reaction may have started when oxygen entered the well system, which is designed to pump out landfill gases like methane.