Fire hits 4.5 acres of vegetation

A fire safety officer walks past 4.5 acres of vegetation in Papago that were destroyed by fire of still unknown cause last Wednesday afternoon. (DEREK GERSONDE)

A brush fire swept through 4.5 acres of vegetation in Papago yesterday at noon. The National Weather Service out of Tiyan, Guam, expects drought in the CNMI to worsen in the next couple of weeks.

No one was reported injured in the Papago brush fire and no one was treated at the scene for medical complaints, according to Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services spokesman Derek Gersonde yesterday.

Gersonde said the cause of fire is being investigated.

A caller to DFEMS reported the grass fire in Papago on Wednesday at 12:15pm.

Firefighters from the Susupe Fire Station were able to contain the blaze at 1:37pm and fully extinguished it at 3:10pm.

Gersonde said they used 50 gallons of water for the operation.

Last week, multiple brush fires occurred on Tinian and Rota.

In an advisory yesterday, the NWS Forecast Office said that satellite images show very dry weather over the Marianas and the region remains in short-term moderate drought. This is officially termed Drought Level 1 of 4.

Some showers have fallen recently; however, much drier weather is expected to develop during the next few weeks.

With the expectation of moderate to occasionally strong trade winds over most of Micronesia in the next couple of months, the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management is advising CNMI residents to refrain from outdoor burning activities so as not to cause wildfires and endanger surrounding life and property.

The Office of HSEM advises to take all necessary precautionary measures at this time; all outdoor burning activity is not recommended and should be delayed.

Gersonde reminded the public that the best way to battle grass fires is to prevent it from ever starting.

He issued the following tips:

-Do not throw cigarette or cigar butts on the ground or out of a vehicle.

-Do not burn trash, leaves, or brush outdoors, without proper supervision.

-Employ the 30-foot “safety zone” surrounding the home.

-If not using a storage shed to store your firewood, make sure you stack it at least 20 feet away from your house.

-Rake leaves, cut off dead limbs, and cut grass regularly.

-Avoid parking cars, trucks, or recreational vehicles on dry grass or brush.

-Stress to children the importance of not playing with fire.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

-NWS website: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/guam/


-NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/


-CNMI EOC State Warning Point Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnmieocswp/.