Man sought in San Antonio fire

Two firefighters spray water into one of the three buildings engulfed in flames in San Antonio Monday afternoon. Investigators say that the blaze originated from an abandoned Sablan Construction warehouse. (BOBBIE JEAN DLG. TAISACAN)

The Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services is seeking the community’s help in identifying and locating a man who has been tagged as a person of interest in the fire that gutted three buildings in San Antonio Monday afternoon.

DFEMS acting spokesperson Bobbie Jean DLC. Taisacan described the person of interest as in his mid-40s, a local, and possibly homeless.

She said the man lived in the vicinity of the old Sablan Construction warehouse in Afetnas.

Taisacan said witnesses saw this person at the scene prior to the arrival of first responders on Monday at 4:40pm.

“If you have information regarding this person or of the fire please contact DFEMS at 664-9004 for the office of enforcement,” she said.

Fire investigators have determined that Monday’s fire started in the abandoned Sablan Construction warehouse. Investigators are still processing the scene, according to Taisacan.

She said the fire spread to an adjacent warehouse—an abandoned United International Corp. building—which sustained total damage.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, the abandoned Sablan warehouse was already fully engulfed in flames.

DFEMS received a call from the Department of Public Safety’s 911 about the fire in San Antonio at 4:40pm.

Firefighters and emergency medical technicians from Garapan, Sususpe, and Koblerville fire stations responded. Mutual aid agencies were then contacted.

Taisacan said that Commonwealth Utilities Corp. crew arrived at 5:12pm to shut off power to the buildings and activate fire hydrants in the area.

Commonwealth Ports Authority’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting team assisted on the south side of the fire scene. American Red Cross personnel and volunteers assisted displaced residents who lived in the area.

Saipan Tribune learned that at least four persons occupied one building that was burned to the ground.

Taisacan said the fire was placed under control at 5:40pm and that no one was injured.

Taisacan said residents in the area first witnessed the abandoned Sablan Construction warehouse on fire.

She said the DFEMS responding unit confirmed that the abandoned warehouse was already fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.

At the time, the blaze was traveling south toward the adjacent UIC warehouse. Firefighters suppressed the blaze and prevented it from moving toward other warehouses in the UIC compound.

On Nov. 17, 2011, three fires broke out close to each other in San Antonio, Chalan Piao, and Chalan Kanoa. Investigators at the time suspected that two of those fires were intentionally set off.

Fire investigators confirmed that 11 fires that occurred from November 2011 to February 2012 in the southern part of Saipan were all arson-related incidents. No one was arrested and prosecuted in those cases.