A dog died, but no people were reported as seriously injured after a structure fire broke out just before midnight Monday in downtown Juneau.
Fire Marshal Dan Jager said the two-story house with an apartment at 623 Basin Road was a total loss.
Jager said the fire appears to have started on the first floor near a kitchen, but the cause is still undetermined.
Three adults who lived in two separate residences in the building escaped without injury.
“Actually, they were asleep and they were alerted to it by the smoke detectors going off,” Jager said. “(They) woke up, opened the door for the bedroom, and they were able to see some smoke and a glow off to the side. That’s when they were able to go downstairs and make it out before it got too bad. By then, the fire was really travelling pretty quick. By the time we got there, the whole first floor was pretty much on fire.”
Unfortunately, a pet dog did not escape.
A firefighter bruised his arm and “twinged” his back after slipping on the ice, Jager said.
Because of the narrow streets and the house’s location on a hillside, Jager said firefighters had to attack the fire from staircases that ran up the hillside or start from Eighth Street above the house and work their way down.
Jager said firefighters finished up and left the scene at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Firefighters returned to the scene about 7:30 a.m. to respond to a re-ignition of the fire.
“It does happen. The biggest thing is that it depends on the type of construction,” Jager said. “If there’s a lot of void spaces and unique characteristics to the house, it can be really difficult to ensure that all of the fire and the hot spots are out. It also depends on how much combustible materials is stacked up inside as well. That stuff can just smolder, and after a period of time it kicks up enough to where it can actually be significant and start up again.”
According to the City Assessor’s database, the 36-year-old house with an apartment was valued at more than $252,000.
Assistant Fire Chief Tod Chambers of Capital City Fire/Rescue reminds people to be safe and check their smoke detectors.
