A fire at a duplex in the Mendenhall Valley had Capital City Fire/Rescue working late into the night on Tuesday to put out the blaze. The duplex’s four occupants and pets all escaped the fire without injury.
According to a news release, CCFR personnel responded to a residential structure fire on Riverside Drive at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival, fire personnel found a two-story, attached home with smoke visible from the roof eaves and windows with fire on both the first and second floors.
Firefighters quickly extinguished flames on the first floor while flames on the second floor took longer to put out, as personnel approached the second-story fire from the roof.
The fire was extinguished after midnight. Riverside Drive was temporarily closed while CCFR worked.
In an investigation concluding at about 2:15 a.m., Fire Marshal Dan Jager and Deputy Fire Marshal Sven Pearson concluded the blaze started in a wood stove and spread to the air space between the first and second floors. It was unclear if the stove was poorly maintained.
The fire was not confined to the interior of the home as the stove’s chimney chase allowed the fire to extend into the roof on the second floor.
The occupants did not have renters insurance and the American Red Cross responded to provide assistance.
