A fire that tore through a Wasilla duplex early Wednesday left one person dead, according to first responders.
Ken Barkley, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s director of emergency services, said the blaze on the 1900 block of West Melanie Avenue was reported at about 6:20 a.m. Wednesday. Crews from both the Central Mat-Su and West Lakes fire departments both responded. Barkley said they learned en route that a person was possibly trapped inside.
“They made an attack on the fire and started search procedures, (and) confirmed that one person was still in there,” Barkley said. “And unfortunately, they found that person deceased.”
Several other residents of the duplex safely escaped the fire, Barkley said. The victim hasn’t been named as authorities notify family members.
The fire’s origin and cause remain under investigation, according to Barkley, but foul play is not believed to have been a factor. He said the duplex isn’t initially considered to be a total loss, pending further assessment by the building’s owners.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.
