Fighting a Fire on Little Water Cay and there is concern for Native Iguana eggs

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, June 5, 2023 – Concerns are mounting about the safety of the Turks and Caicos’ native rock iguanas following a fire on Little Water Cay that began over the weekend.  The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) spoke to Magnetic Media to update us on the situation.

The fire started on Sunday and was contained up to Monday morning.  Unfortunately later during the day because of a shift in the direction of the wind the fire flared up once more, we are told.

Fortunately residents and the DECR were keeping a close eye and the DECR called in the Fire Department, TCI Regiment and volunteers to help contain the blaze.  Up to 3 pm Monday the fire was still burning

The department has not yet figured out what caused the blaze, but a DECR spokesperson gave us some insight with, “It’s a very arid piece of land and currently the fire is being filled by the dry brush as well as the Casuarina Pine.  The pine needles are very oily and can catch alight very easily.”

Photos of the fire, shared with Magnetic Media, show smoke billowing up off of the tiny island.  The spokesperson also expressed fear for the rock iguanas resident on the cay in the hundreds.

“We are concerned because Little Water Cay is a critical habitat for the indigenous and endemic [animal].”

The Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana is not found anywhere else in the world; endemic to the TCI.  Living for as long as 30 years the tiny iguana can reach 30 inches long.  They only reproduce once a year and each time, there are only up to nine eggs laid to shore up the next generation. The eggs are a precious natural resource and require unwavering attention for the three months they take to hatch.

One resident, while lauding the efforts of the residents and DECR team who arrived to fight the fire, said they were worried about the eggs as it would be a major blow for the country to lose this year’s hatchlings.

The animals are currently ranked as endangered.

At news publication time fire extinguishing efforts were ongoing.