No one was injured in a Sunday morning structure fire in the Mendenhall Valley, according to Capital City Fire/ Rescue.
CCFR responded to the fire at a duplex in the 3000 block of Wood Duck Avenue shortly before 11:30 a.m., according to CCFR. The fire broke out in a half of the duplex that was unoccupied and all residents were evacuated without injury.
Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a residential structure fire involving a two story duplex in
The Fire Marshal’s Office conducted a fire origin and cause investigation and determined that the room of origin was a first floor bedroom where an electric space heater was in close proximity to a fabric chair with clothing draped over the back of the chair.
According to CCFR, the chair ignited, and as it burned, the foam cushion melted creating a burning liquid which soaked into the carpet and burned through to the wooden subfloor.
The fire grew in size due to the fire starting near a wall which allowed the space to collect the hot gasses and bank back down towards the floor. Heat then melted a bed mattress approximately 5 feet away as well as a plastic clothes container that was approximately 7 feet away. The heat energy that was given off by various combustible materials continued to burn, sending smoke traveling throughout all of the rooms on the second floor as the bedroom door was partially opened which also provided enough airflow to sustain the fire.
This fire was unintentional, according to CCFR, and the damage is estimated at approximately $175,000. The building was insured. There was smoke damage throughout the home.
• Contact reporter Jonson Kuhn at jonson.kuhn@juneauempire.com.
