It could’ve been a cooking or warming fire started by squatters that got out of control, or it could’ve been a fire that was purposely set to burn down the building. Either way, investigators are certain Saturday’s fire at the Gastineau Apartments was intentionally started.
“You got to look at the fact that the building has been vacant and condemned for the last two and half years almost,” says Fire Marshal Dan Jager, adding that process of elimination led to the determination.
“There was no electricity and there was no heat source like a boiler system or anything like that. The only way you’re going to have a heat source is if someone brings it in,” Jager says. “There’s no other reason for it to start other than intentional or carelessness.”
Unlike the major fire in November 2012 that displaced 40 residents, just one room was consumed by Saturday’s fire.
Jager declined to immediately elaborate on the potential ignition source or what was found inside the room. He says most combustible material, such as the furniture and personal effects that fueled the building’s first fire had largely been removed from the structure.
Most of the interior drywall is still in place, but Jager says it appeared wet and moldy. That could have prevented the fire from spreading.
“If it had been missing at all, then you have wooden structure members that could’ve burned,” Jager says. “It didn’t happen this time because it was still covered.”
Jager says some of the building’s windows appeared forced open. Squatters also could have climbed a fence or a padlocked gate to enter the building through other windows near the ground level.
City officials are looking at ways to clean up the downtown eyesore. At last week’s Juneau Assembly meeting, members asked the city attorney for a list of options, ranging from taking the property by eminent domain to legal action forcing the owners to demolish the building. City Manager Kim Kiefer says Saturday’s fire lends a sense of urgency to that process.
“I think that given people are getting into the structure that’s supposed to be secure and obviously isn’t, that the Assembly wants to try and move,” Kiefer says. “We keep hearing the same stories that everybody else does that there’s a buyer out there that wants to buy it. That hasn’t panned out. So, we need to step in and do something.”
Jager says Capital City Fire/Rescue is investigating the fire in conjunction with the Juneau Police Department. Officers are interviewing witnesses and bystanders.
Casey Kelly contributed to this report.