A Mendenhall Valley residence is a total loss after a New Year’s Eve fire, Capital City Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Ed Quinto said Monday.
The two residents of the house, a husband and wife, were able to escape mostly unharmed. Quinto said the husband sustained first-degree burns on one hand, but declined medical treatment or transportation to the hospital. CCFR got a call at 4:19 p.m. Sunday that the house, on Carrol Place near the Juneau International Airport, was on fire.
By the time firefighters arrived, Quinto said, half of the 1,800-square foot house was on fire. The fire then made its way through the rest of the house, rendering it a total loss. Firefighters knocked the fire down in about an hour, but remained there late into the night putting out smaller fires. They also returned Monday morning, Quinto said, still putting out small fires.
The fire marshal’s office is currently investigating the cause of the fire, Quinto said, and it’s still too early to determine the cause.
The wife in the household noticed the fire first, Quinto said. She was doing laundry and noticed flames in the back of the house. The Red Cross is currently coordinating housing options for the couple, Quinto said.
Five fire trucks, three ambulances, four support unit vehicles and more than 20 firefighters were on scene to fight the fire, Quinto said. None of the firefighters were harmed, Quinto said.
