Guam, 2001

Wildfire in Guam, May 1, 2001

May 1, 2001 · NWS GUA · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Firefighters responded to a large grass fire on a piece of Navy land, know locally as Radio Barrigadabecause of several large radio antennas. Thick black smoke billowed from the fire and engulfed a portionof Route 16, forcing its closure for a few hours.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GUA wrote it up.

Firefighters responded to a large grass fire on a piece of Navy land, know locally as Radio Barrigadabecause of several large radio antennas. Thick black smoke billowed from the fire and engulfed a portionof Route 16, forcing its closure for a few hours. An elementary school, P.C. Lujan, had it's afternoonactivates cancelled. The school was evacuated for safety reason, since the fire came within 300 yards ofthe building. One person had to be treated for smoke inhalation and was sent to Guam Memorial Hospital.In addition to burning near the school, the fire came close to several houses. No damage was reported tothe houses or the school. Guam Fire Department units from Barrigada, Yigo, Dededo, and Sinajana as wellas Navy fire units responded to the blaze.The cause of the fire was unknown. This occurred at the height ofthe dry season, in which small fires can quickly get out of control because of the dry vegetation.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS GUA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 1, 4:06 AM SST, 9 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 4:06 AM SST, 9 hours 24 minutes before
AREA SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TIYAN GU
1 AM GUAM LST WED MAY 2 2001

WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC BETWEEN EQUATOR AND 25N FROM 130E TO 180.

TRADE WIND CONVERGENCE AND FAVORABLE UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE PRODUCING
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN THE EQUATOR AND
11N FROM 143E TO 170E...AND BETWEEN THE EQUATOR AND 8N FROM 170E TO
180. SHOWERS ARE MOST CONCENTRATED WEST AND SOUTH OF CHUUK AND
SOUTHEAST OF KOSRAE.

A WEAK TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE STRETCHED FROM NEAR 3N130E TO THE
EQUATOR AND 142E. CONVERGENCE NEAR THE TROUGH IS PRODUCING WIDELY
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN THE EQUATOR AND
6N FROM 130E TO 139E.

CLOUDINESS AND WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH AN
UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE ARE FOUND BETWEEN 21N AND 25N FROM 144E TO
156E.

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Guam

When
May 1, 1:30 PM SST to 6:00 PM SST
Where
Guam County, Barrigada
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Guam in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Guam, May 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5243642.