Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighters watch the Thane Ore House controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
The Thane Ore House no longer exists.
The old restaurant near Sheep Creek on Thane Road was destroyed in a controlled burn by Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighters on Saturday.
Assistant Chief Tod Chambers said they used the occasion to train about two dozen firefighters. Small fires would be set inside and firefighters would have to enter the building, find the fire and quickly extinguish it.
When their training was completed, the building was allowed to burn completely as bystanders lined up on Thane Road to watch the flaming spectacle.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska plans to build a new $9 million cultural immersion center on the site. But the old restaurant had deteriorated so much that it could not be renovated.
Tlingit & Haida President Richard Peterson said they plan to build the new center in the form of a traditional longhouse.
Peterson said potential contractors will visit the site on Monday before they prepare bids for cleaning up the debris.
Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighter hose down a nearby tree so it doesn’t catch fire during the Thane Ore House controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighter watches during the Thane Ore House controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
Steam billows off the side of a nearby building as Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighters hose it down to prevent it from catching fire as the adjacent Thane Ore House burns on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
Juneau Police Department and Capital City Fire/Rescue dispatcher Christy Smith and CCF/R Chief Rich Etheridge watch during the Thane Ore House controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
A wood wall burns during the Thane Ore House controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
An explosion of hot gases and embers erupts with a load bang from the burned debris of the old Thane Ore House during the controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. CCF/R Chief Rich Etheridge says the explosion was mostly likely caused by water molecules in the concrete expanding 1400 times after being superheated to over 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
Capital City Fire/Rescue firefighters enter the Thane Ore House and attack an interior fire during the controlled burn on Nov. 24, 2018. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
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