The City of Bethel is working towards declaring a state of emergency after a fire destroyed the Kilbuck campus, housing two schools and dorm buildings.
“We have approximately 300 school children that just lost their school and all the disruptions to that community,” Mayor Rick Robb said, presenting the proposed declaration at Tuesday’s city council meeting after contacting the Dept. of Homeland Security and Emergency Management earlier that day.
“And it says, City of Bethel Proclamation Declaring a State of Disaster in the City of Bethel,” he said.
The documents lists the immediate aftermath of the fire— students “without a place of education” and some “without permanent housing;” the city incurring sever costs fighting the fire; damage to the city’s only ladder truck; and, “The school buildings are damaged beyond repair.”
The proposal says emergency responders effectively contained the fire. And the “magnitude” of the damage exceeds the capacity and funds of local resources.
“Therefore, be it resolved that the City Council of Bethel, Alaska does declare a disaster emergency to exist in the City of Bethel,” Robb said.
The proposal asks the governor to declare a disaster emergency for the city and to provide assistance for response and recovery.
The city manager is finalizing the document as more information becomes available and will present it to council for approval at next week’s meeting.
The state fire marshal is scheduled to arrive in Bethel early Wednesday morning.
Anna Rose MacArthur is a reporter at KYUK in Bethel.
