Fire Destroys Midtown Mobile Home

Anchorage Fire crews were dispatched at 3:29 a.m. this morning to a mobile home fire in the Park Estates Trailer Court at 3007 Arctic Blvd. after a neighbor called 911 reporting heavy smoke coming from the trailer.   Ambient temperatures were well below zero as crews raced to the scene.

Firefighters from the Spenard Station were first on scene and confirmed there was smoke showing.  All occupants were accounted for and confirmed out of the structure.  As fire crews entered the trailer they discovered the fire had not breached the interior.  Exterior crews than began the arduous task of removing the skirting from around the trailer to access the fire which continued to grow.  The fire then vented through the floor into the trailer and crews were confronted with heavy fire and limited water supply.  Having no hydrants in the trailer park fire crews had to locate a nearby hydrant on 32^nd Ave and Montclaire Ct and lay a five inch water supply line into the fire scene.  The fire proved to be stubborn as crews had to work from outside and under the trailer and then keep it from advancing when fire breached the interior.  It took an hour and twenty minutes before the fire was called under control.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, although it is believed to have started under the trailer.  Damage estimates are not yet available although the damage is considered extensive.  Red Cross officials responded with their canteen service for fire crews and will be assisting two adults and one child displaced by the fire.  Additional fire crews were summoned to relieve on scene crews and minimize exposure to the severe cold.  There were no fire ground injuries and one citizen was treated and released by paramedics for a medical problem unrelated to the fire.  MOA Street Maintenance was also requested to sand nearby streets for icing conditions created by water used at the fire scene.

Firefighters Battle Fires in Freezing Temperatures

Anchorage Firefighters were kept busy last night as they responded to two separate house fires.   As the outside mercury drops below zero residents are lighting up their fireplaces while others are thawing pipes.  Both scenarios can have an unfortunate outcome for unsuspecting residents.

Just before 6 p.m. eleven units were dispatched to a single family home at 3651 Hazen Cir in the Bayshore subdivision.  The residents reported smoke coming from the ceiling area near the chimney chase, and all evacuated safely.  The engine company from the nearby Southport station arrived within minutes and determined the fire was behind the wall and venting into the cathedral ceiling area.  As additional units arrived the task at hand became more difficult than the standard fire behind a wall.  The chimney chase was encased in concrete and then layered with mortar bricks.  Additionally, foam insulation had been sprayed into the chase area and into the cathedral ceilings.  This proved to be problematic as firefighters overhauled the wall and ceiling area to ensure the fire was extinguished.  The fire was brought under control in 15 minutes.

An investigation by on-scene fire crews believed the fire was caused by a process called pyrolysis.  Essentially the area in the chimney chase has “slow-burned” or smoldered for a long period of time.  There were working smoke detectors in the home and no injuries were reported.  The residents will be staying with friends or family in the area and did not request assistance from Red Cross.  Damage is estimated at $40,000.

A short while later around 9 p.m. a smoke was reported by a neighbor coming from a mobile home at 2221 Muldoon Rd, Space #525, the Glen-Caren Trailer Court.  Given there are no hydrants in the park a water tender was added to the response, totaling twelve units.  The first engine company from the Debarr/Patterson station arrived and reported smoke showing and initiated a fast attack.  In-coming fire companies assisted with a water supply, ventilation and over-haul to access the fire.  This fire too proved to be stubborn and difficult to access as the origin was under the mobile home.  The skirting around the bottom had to be removed before firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze at the seat.

Fire official’s on-scene determined the fire started under the mobile home.  The home was vacant and under renovation and earlier in the day the homeowner was there attempting to thaw frozen pipes with a propane torch.  Wooden truss members smoldered and eventually ignited before venting out the side.  Red Cross assistance was not needed.  A firefighter suffered minor burns while fighting the fire and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  The home was considered a total loss at $40,000.  The fire department highly recommends that residents use professional services for thawing frozen pipes.

Discarded Ashes Start Fire

Anchorage Fire Department firefighters responded to a structure fire late last evening after receiving several reports from neighbors hearing small explosions.  AFD Dispatchers answered multiple 911 calls from nearby residents who all reported seeing a building on fire on Bradley Circle just west of Arctic Blvd and W. 76^th Ave.  Nine fire apparatus were quickly dispatched.

Anchorage Police Officers arrived just prior to fire trucks and reported the garage at the rear of 745 Bradley Circle to be fully engulfed, and all residents had safely evacuated the unattached home.  Engine 12 from the station at Homer and 80^th arrived moments later and determined the garage itself was not fully engulfed; rather a shed in close proximity to the garage was on fire.  The fire had spread to the exterior wall of the garage.  The engine crew initiated a fast attack as additional units assisted with ventilation, securing utilities and extinguishment.  Crews verified with Thermal Imaging Cameras the fire had not extended into the garage overhead and nearby home.  The fire was called under control in under twenty minutes.  The explosions heard by nearby residents was attributed to fuel stored in the shed.

During overhaul operations and through discussions with the residents it was determined the fire was caused by improperly discarded ashes earlier in the day that were dumped by the exterior of the shed.  Fire officials estimate damage to the shed and garage at $10K - $15K.  There were no injuries related to the fire and Red Cross assistance was not needed.  Chugach Electric crews responded to restore power to the home.

Fire Department Officials remind residents that ash debris from fireplaces and woodstoves should always be placed in a non-combustible container and stored away from combustible materials.  Ash piles and debris can smolder for days and reignite unexpectedly.  Never discard ashes into trash receptacles until they are cold to the touch.

Unoccupied Cabin Fire

At 0245 hours the Anchorage Fire Department had reports from nearby citizens that there was a structure on fire in the vicinity of 46th and Folker. Ten units from the Anchorage Fire Department responded and found an older unoccupied two-story cabin fully engulfed in flames. The units maintained an exterior defensive attack on the fire due to the unsafe conditions of the structure and its instability. The fire was called under control at 0315 hours and units were still extinguishing hot spots until 0442 hours. AFD units believe the fire started on the second floor. Damage is estimated between $100,000 - $150,000 and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Unattended Cooking Fire Damages Apartment

An alert neighbor called 911 to report a fire they observed through and adjoining neighbor’s apartment window.  Fire Department Dispatchers received the call at 8:44 p.m. for the apartment complex at 8942 Blackberry St. which has 18 units in the building.  Given the multiple units in the building thirteen fire apparatus were initially dispatched.

Engine 7 from the Jewel Lake Fire Station, located nearby, arrived within a couple minutes and confirmed seeing the fire through the apartment window.  Firefighters made quick access to the apartment and quickly extinguished the blaze which was confined to the stove top and immediate area.  The fire was stopped before it extended into the walls, ceiling or cabinets.  Fire officials estimate the damage at less than $1,000.

The apartment was not occupied when the fire began, although it’s believed the resident may have been cooking before leaving the apartment.  The Anchorage Fire Department responds to numerous fire calls every year that are related to unattended cooking, and in this case it’s fortunate a neighbor discovered the fire before it grew into a more disastrous outcome for the building residents.  A fire can double in size every 60 seconds and fire officials remind residents of high occupancy housing units to ensure they have working smoke detectors, a planned escape route, activate the building fire alarm, closing all doors and windows upon leaving the building and call 911.

Residents Escape Trailer Fire

Residents in a Abbott Road trailer escaped a fire early this morning without injury.  The fire was reported just before 1:30 a.m. from a person living at home.  Eleven units from the Anchorage Fire Department were dispatched moments later.

The first arriving Engine Company from Station 12 at Homer and 80^th Ave reported fire coming from under the trailer.  A fast attack was initiated and it was determined all occupants had safely evacuated.  Additional units assisted with water supply and ventilation.  The fire was called under control in about forty minutes.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but it’s believed to have started under the trailer.  There were no working smoke detectors in the trailer and fire officials say it’s fortunate the occupants were able to escape safely.  Chugach Electric and Enstar Natural Gas companies responded to the incident.  The Red Cross also responded and will be providing housing assistance for 3 adult residents.  The trailer and contents were considered a total loss and valued at $75,000.