SAIPAN — Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services firefighters are urging the public to stop burning green waste and debris after battling three fires overnight Friday while simultaneously clearing trees, coordinating tent setups and working 36-hour shifts during the Sinlaku recovery.
Robert Mojica, a firefighter and DFEMS public information officer, spoke with NMI News Service Saturday morning at the scene of a debris fire in Chalan Kanoa that investigators believe was intentionally set. A butane canister with an attached torch was found at the scene. Crews received the call at 1:51 a.m. and did not get the all-clear until 4:38 a.m.
“Someone almost lost their house yesterday because they thought they could burn their green waste,” Mojica said. “Please, for the love of God, do not burn.”
The overnight CK fire was one of three that crews battled. A second fire broke out near San Vicente, where burning spread toward a home. A third fire broke out behind the Chandler McDonald’s location but died out on its own.
Mojica described a department being stretched to its limits. After fighting fires through the night and finishing around 4 a.m., crews regrouped and immediately resumed tent setup operations across Saipan in partnership with FEMA and the Department of War, working to house residents who lost their homes in the storm. Shifts have stretched to 36 hours.
The fires are compounding a dangerous situation. Saipan’s water infrastructure remains severely compromised, with no wells connected to the CUC power grid. Mojica said crews at the overnight CK fire had to extend hoses approximately 500 feet to reach a working hydrant. An earlier fire near Susupe Lake required crews to pull 500 feet of hose into the swamplands, and a second fire broke out during that response requiring a simultaneous response.
“If you’re going to burn, don’t burn — because you may be in an area that doesn’t have water and we’re fighting the fire and we may run out,” Mojica said.
Mojica praised community members who have brought food donations to fire stations and said the support has been a meaningful boost to crew morale during an extraordinarily demanding period. “For the folks that have been donating food to the stations, thank you so much. It really uplifts us.”
The Chalan Kanoa debris staging site near Mt. Carmel Cathedral is one of several community green waste drop-off sites operating across Saipan. The main site is at As Gonno. Residents are reminded to bring debris to these locations rather than burning it.
