High wind warning in effect for Marianas, fire weather watch in place for Guam

Secure your canopies, stay out of the water, and refrain from open burning. 

That’s what weather officials are advising as a high wind warning is in effect for the Marianas until Thursday evening. 

Locally, a fire weather watch is in place Wednesday evening to Monday afternoon. This means gusty winds and dry conditions can lead to the rapid spread of fires.

The highest threat is in the southern parts of Guam, especially areas seeing extensive sun and winds. 

In an effort to reduce wildfire threats, the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Soil Resources is asking southern farmers and landowners for help. 

“Our big ask yesterday was for landowners to consider enrolling in EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program), and consider providing access opportunity for the forestry side to be able to implement fuel reduction, project fuel breaks, greenbelts, firebreaks– an assortment of fire mitigation practices to help protect and prevent fire intrusion to private properties and across our lands,” said Christine Camacho Fejeran, DOAG Forestry Division Chief.  

For the first time ever, Guam has been awarded the Joint Chief’s Landscape Restoration Partnership (JCLRP) Grant, receiving over $1.8 million for a three year project called “Making Southern Guam More Firewise and Fire Resilient.”

“Private properties border all of our government lands. And in fact private properties landlock the government lands. So in order for us to access those parcels, we need access to private lands. This grant brings a lot to us, and it brings a lot to the community. Together we can really do something great,” Camacho Fejeran said. 

The project requires access to private land in southern areas to restore landscapes, reduce wildfire threats, protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitat.

“These plantations do not belong to the Guam Department of Agriculture. These sites belong to you. It's public land, it’s the people’s land. And the reforestation work we’re doing is to restore native habitat, fresh water and restore watersheds that have gone dry,” she said to farmers and landowners during an outreach event for the project Tuesday at the Inalahan mayor’s office.

From 2015 to 2022, southern parts of the island were significantly damaged by wildfires, especially the Inalahan HUC12 watershed. These watersheds are susceptible to erosion and impacts streams and coral reefs, making wildfires a ridge-to-reef impact.

Agriculture confirmed that just a few days ago, there were 2 attempts to burn the mountain in Hagat.

This as a red flag warning was in place Wednesday. 

“When we talk about red flag warnings and the fire hazard, this is the reminder that open burning, backyard burning, you need permits for these things. You need to go to the fire department for these things. So you run the chance of being cited with negligent burning, criminal mischief and potentially arson depending on what could happen should these fires within our backyards escape,” Camacho Fejeran said. 

Meantime, forest landowners interested in the land restoration and wildfire prevention project are encouraged to email the Forestry division at [email protected] or call 671-300-7977/6.