Overnight Fire in Beauty Salon 210 E. Fireweed Lane

5-10-08

Contact Battalion Chief Tom Kempton 317-7233

Upstairs tenants were alerted to a fire in a daylight basement beauty salon by a loud explosion, possibly from the superheated gases of a backdraft explosion, according to Anchorage Fire Department Captain Ursa Lively. The tenants had been playing amplified musical instruments and had not been alerted to the fire by smoke detectors that had been sounding. The 911 call came in at 3:36 AM and Capt. Lively and the Engine 4 crew from the Tudor Road Fire Station were first on location. They reported heavy smoke and flames from the daylight basement beauty salon. Capt. Lively and her crew were able to quickly knock the fire down and contain it to the basement area. The cause of the fire is thought to be electrical and associated with either an overloaded socket or some electrical appliance left on. Damage is estimated at $10,000 in property and $30,000 to the structure. One upstairs tenant was displaced by the fire and the Alaska Chapter of the American Red Cross will be providing assistance to him. 

Firefighters from the Anchorage Fire Department were on location in 4 minutues and 11 units eventually responded.