A residential fire Wednesday in the Northwest Arctic community of Noorvik claimed the lives of six people, Alaska State Troopers said.
According to an online dispatch troopers, deputy state fire marshals and village public safety officers responded Wednesday to reports of a fire in Noorvik, a community of about 650 people roughly 45 miles east of Kotzebue. The remains of six individuals were found at the scene.
“It is believed that one adult female and five children were in the residence at the time of the fire,” troopers wrote.
The remains have been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for identification.
According to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain, Noorvik residents were alerted to the fire around 6 a.m. Wednesday and responded immediately, but found the home fully engulfed in flames.
The home was a total loss in the blaze, troopers said. Officials say the fire apparently started near a Toyo stove that was allegedly in poor condition. An electric heater and older wiring in the house might also have started the fire, DeSpain said, although its cause is still undetermined.
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