Heavy rainfall is what Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett says has caused a shift in direction of the smoke billowing from the New Providence Landfill yesterday.

After more than week and U.S aid being brought in to assist with the clean up, the scent of smoke is still pungent in the Jubilee Gardens area and now communities on the opposite side of the landfill.

The wind shift though, is something Mr. Dorsett said he and his team were prepared for.

“We know what has caused it, it’s because of the rain and when that happens, smoke lifts,” he said.

“We don’t have the sun shining brightly and once that happens it’s going to help to dampen down the level of smoke but from what we have seen last night from the airdrops 80 percent of the ridge that is still burning is now out.”

Mr. Dorsett gave the update outside Cabinet yesterday.

The pocket that has been found he says was hoped to be extinguished early Tuesday morning.

They were going to put it out last night but air traffic control told us to discontinue the last take off because we were nearing sunset so we had hoped to complete that early this morning but with the rain it seems as if it was out,” he said.

“The air drops should be able to focus on different areas today to be able to cool the ground so that the team on the ground moving the fill to cover would be able to move at a faster pace.”

As for when the all clear would be give, he said that would be left to Fire Chief Superintendent Walter Evans to decide.