Overview:
Sixteen brush fires were reported across Palau in August, putting already limited firefighting manpower and water resources under increasing pressure. With severe El Niño-driven dry weather continuing, fire officials are warning that the risk of more fires — and the danger they pose to communities — is growing.
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau (Sept. 7, 2026) — “With more fire incidents, resources are strained,” said Chief Jeff Eriich of the Division of Fire & Rescue, as Palau recorded 16 brush fires in August amid increasingly dry conditions linked to the severe El Niño.
The growing number of fires is raising concerns among fire officials that continued dry weather could increase the likelihood of additional brush fires while further stretching already limited manpower and water resources.
Eriich said each shift typically has only three or four firefighters available. While the Division has the necessary firefighting equipment, including fire trucks, staffing remains a major challenge, particularly when multiple fires are reported at the same time.
“But we don’t have the manpower,” Eriich said.
When more than one fire is reported, the Division must call in off-duty firefighters to provide additional assistance.
The threat is compounded by concerns over water supplies as the dry weather continues. Eriich said many states are already experiencing designated water hours, raising concerns that reservoirs and other water sources could become depleted.
“We have fire trucks but if we run out of water, we will need to obtain water from nearest ‘stand pipe’ in whichever state the fire incident is at,” he said.
Accessing those water sources can present another challenge. Eriich said many of Palau’s standpipes, or fire hydrants, are Japanese-made, while the country’s fire trucks are manufactured in the United States. In some locations, the connections do not fit.
Some states have U.S.-made standpipes, he said, but others have only Japanese-made systems, creating an additional obstacle for firefighters responding to emergencies.
The most pressing concern, however, is the possibility that water reservoirs in some states could run out because of the prolonged dry conditions.
As Palau remains under drought watch, Eriich urged residents to avoid any activity that could ignite a brush fire.
“Most common excuse people give when we come to the scene of the fires is that they didn’t know they were not supposed to burn things,” he said.
Eriich said authorities have been warning the public for months not to start fires and have informed residents that Palau is now experiencing drought conditions.
The fires have occurred in and around residential areas as well as in the hills across the states of Babeldaob.
Authorities have attributed fires to several causes, including careless burning, deliberate burning and hunters setting fires in the hills. At the site of a major fire in Ngchesar recently, pictures of plucked pigeon feathers were found nearby, raising concerns that hunting activity may have been connected to the fire.
Authorities are strongly reminding the public that open burning is prohibited and can result in steep fines.
The warning comes as Palau faces the possibility of worsening drought conditions. If the dry weather continues, the country could move into the next stage of drought, when water rationing would become mandatory.
For firefighters, that could mean responding to more fires with limited personnel while facing growing pressure on the water supplies needed to contain them.
Eriich urged the public to take the warnings seriously and avoid starting fires, particularly during the current dry conditions, to help reduce the risk to communities and ease the strain on firefighting resources.