Baxter Area House Fire

Twelve units with the Anchorage Fire Department were dispatched to a structure fire at 5912 Prosperity Dr. around 2:20 a.m. this morning, July 31, 2007.  The home is a duplex and a resident in one half reported their kitchen on fire.

Engine 6 from the Patterson Fire Station arrived in just over three minutes and reported heavy smoke showing, calling a Working Fire.  All occupants had safely evacuated allowing the fire crews to initiate a fast attack.  The fire was brought under control in less than twenty minutes.  The fire was contained largely to the kitchen area with minor extension into the attic area.

The cause of the fire was determined to be unattended cooking.  A resident in the fire unit was heating oil on the stove and had left the kitchen.  Upon returning they found the kitchen on fire.  The fire caused an estimated forty thousand dollars in damage, and no damage was reported in the non-fire unit.  However, when the fire breached the attic it compromised some of the electrical wiring for the entire structure.  Red Cross was summoned to provide temporary housing for three adults and four children from one unit and three adults and a canine from the other half.  There were no fire ground injuries.

Panoramic View Apartment Fire

Eleven units from the Anchorage Fire Department responded to a late evening fire at the Panoramic View Apartments located at 1205 Hollywood Dr. at 11:20 p.m. on July 30, 2007.  The caller reported smoke in the middle of the building believed to be a common hall or stairway.

Engine 2 responding from the Downtown Fire Station was on scene within five minutes and reported light smoke showing, although the location of the fire within the building had yet been discovered.  Engine 2 began a fast attack and as additional units arrived from the Downtown station they began to ensure occupants were evacuated.  The fire was discovered in a basement storage unit and a Working Fire was called.  Quick work by fire crews had the fire suppressed within ten minutes, however the basement was fully charged with smoke and additional crews assisted with ventilating the structure.

All occupants were safely evacuated without injury.  An Anchorage Police Officer was transported to an area hospital for smoke inhalation received while alerting occupants to evacuate.  The fire was contained to the storage unit with damages estimated at less than Five Thousand Dollars.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  No assistance from the Red Cross was needed.

A working smoke detector was credited to alerting the occupant who reported the fire.

Suspicious Fire in Muldoon

Contact Tom Kempton 317-7233

7-27-2007

Firefighters responded to a suspicious fire that consumed a run-down building in Muldoon shortly after 3 PM this afternoon.

The fire was reported next to 1251 Muldoon Road, at the rear of the old Muldoon Greenhouse area that is now owned by Heritage Land Bank. The site has two older buildings at the rear of the lot in an area of trees.  The fire began in the storage building and spread to the older house and garage.  Firefighters were able to stop the spread of the fire but not before it destroyed the storage buidling.   There were no working utility connections to the buildings so the fire had to start from some other ignition source. The fire is under investigation.

Fire in 24 Unit Apartment Complex Calls for 2nd Alarm Response

from Anchorage Fire Department

7-22-2007

Contact Tom Kempton 317-7233

Anchorage Firefighters were called for a fire in a 24 unit apartment building at the Club Apartments 5800 Lake Otis Boulevard shortly at 7:42 PM tonight. Arriving firefighters on Engine 4 called a fully involved working fire with flames extending from daylight basement units up to the third floor involving the front staircase.  Engine 4 crew knocked the fire down in the lower units and on the staircase as they made their way to the third floor to search for anyone trapped above the fire. Other arriving units advanced backup lines up the staircase and up another staircase into the other side of the apartment complex to stop extension of the fire up into the attic. 

All the occupants safety evacuated the strucure and there were no reported injuries. The majority of the fire damage was to the six units on the side of the structure facing Lake Otis.  The other side of the unit and the twelve apartments on the West end did receive some smoke damage but were spared from fire damage by the fast action of the firefighters in knocking down the fire and preventing it from extending into the attic and roof areas. After the fire was knocked down two cats were found dead. 

The fire was apparently started from a grease fire on the stove in one of the lower apartments. The tenants in that apartment attempted to put the fire out with a handheld fire extinguisher but that was not successful and the fire spread quickly to the kitchen. The fire then extended out the windows and involved the staircase and spread into apartments above.  

The American Red Cross was on location very quickly after the fire, meeting with the displaced tenants to provide assistance.  A monetary damage was not available tonight and it is unknow how many families will need Red Cross assistance. 

EARLY MORNING HILLSIDE

STRUCTURE FIRE

At 0349 hours Sunday morning, the Anchorage Fire Department received two calls of a structure on fire in the 17000 block of Mountainside Village Drive in the area known as Anchorage's hillside.  The first caller was not on location and could only give a general area with a description of a large plume of smoke on the north side of Potter's Marsh, possibly south of Rabbit Creek Rd. and east of Goldenview Dr.  The second call was received 6 minutes after the initial call and the caller was on location and was in the evacuation process.  Thirteen units were dispatched and the first unit arrived on location 10 minutes after the dispatch stating a single-family structure was involved as well as a recreational vehicle.  The fire was called under control at a 0443 hrs.  Fire Investigator on location was able to determine that the fire started in the recreational vehicle (electrical in nature) and extended to the garage which housed a vehicle.  The approximate value of loss is $100,000 and includes the recreational vehicle, the garage and the garage contents including a vehicle.  There were no injuries reported.

For additional information, contact PIO Tom Kempton at 267-4999 or Jen Klugh at 267-4956 during their normal business hours.

Anchorage Fire Department

Press Release

7-18-2007

Contact Tom Kempton 317-7233

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company Donation aids

Fire Department Dive Rescue Team

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company representative Peggy Mallon will present a check to Fire Chief Craig Goodrich for the purchase of an inflatable dive rescue raft.

The dive rescue raft will be used by the Anchorage Fire Department Dive Rescue Team to assist in rescue operations on Anchorage lakes and streams.  The Dive Rescue Team responds to calls for assistance within the 100 square mile area of the Municipality from Ingram Creek past Portage glacier up Turnagain Arm all the way North to the Knik River Bridge.

The Anchorage Fire Department greatly appreciates the generosity of the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in providing the funds for this vital piece of rescue equipment.

The donation will be received by Fire Chief Craig Goodrich from Fireman’s Fund representative, Peggy Mallon at a ceremony, Wednesday, 10 AM July 25^th at Fire Station One, 100 E. 4^th Ave, Anchorage, AK.   The Anchorage Fire Department Dive Rescue Team will also be in attendance.   

Mt. View Cooking Fire

Shorthly after noon today July 18th, 2007, 12 units of the Anchorage Fire Department responded to a reported kitchen fire at 636 N. Bunn in Mt. View.

Firefighters were able to quickly knock down a fast spreading kitchen fire before it could extend into the attic space and damage other apartments in this 20 unit structure.  Damage was estimated at $5,000 dollars.  The occupant stated that she stepped away from the stove for a smoke and came back to find the stove top on fire.  Quick action from the firefighters is credited with keeping damage to a minimum.

Firefighters Busy Overnight

Anchorage Firefighters were kept busy overnight responding to two structure fires and several car fires.  While there was no correlation between the structure fires, the vehicle fires were all suspicious in nature.

The first fire was reported just after 8:00 p.m. on Chain of Rock Street in Eagle River.  The resident of a single family two story dwelling called 911 and reported his garage on fire.  Eleven units from the Anchorage Fire Department were dispatched moments later.  First arriving units from Station 11 in Eagle River reported a working fire with flames visible from the garage on their arrival.

As units continued from Anchorage Stations to assist, the Eagle River units initiated a fast attack.  They were successful in stopping the fire from spreading to the attached living area.  The garage contained live ammunition that reportedly was heard exploding before fire units arrived.  The fire was brought under control in less than 20 minutes; the garage and contents are considered a total loss with damage estimated at $50,000.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation and no injuries were reported.  No assistance from Red Cross was needed.

The second structure fire occurred just minutes before 2:30 a.m. this morning on Cutty Sark Street, west of the Jewel Lake and Raspberry Road intersection.  Fire Dispatchers received a couple 911 calls reporting a fire in the 6 plex building.  Twelve units were dispatched and the first arriving engine company from the Jewel Lake Fire Station reported a working fire with flames and smoke showing. 

A fast attack was initiated by the first two engine companies as the fire spread to two units of the building.  As they battled the flames, additional arriving units ensured that all occupants had safely escaped the adjoining units.  This fire was called under control in about 30 minutes.  A cat was rescued from one of the fire units and the Red Cross was summoned to provide housing needs for two displaced residents.  The cause of the fire was determined to be improperly disposed smoking materials on a wood deck.  Fire damages were estimated to be $100,000 and no injuries were reported.

Since midnight there have been three vehicle fires, all with suspicious circumstances.  The Anchorage Police Department continues to investigate these in coordination with fire department to develop potential leads.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 561-STOP.