The cause of a fire to a Mendenhall Valley house on New Year’s Eve is still undetermined, Fire Marshal Dan Jager said Tuesday.
So far, Jager and his staff have determined that the fire started outside the house, in a covered storage area out back that was attached to the house. The only heat source they’ve located is a boiler unit. The fire does not appear to be suspicious, Jager said.
Assistant Chief Ed Quinto said Monday that the house is a total loss. Jager said the house was insured.
Capital City Fire/Rescue got a call at 4:19 p.m. Sunday reporting that the house, located on Carrol Place near the Juneau International Airport, was on fire. The two residents of the house, a husband and wife, escaped largely unharmed. The husband suffered first-degree burns on one hand, Quinto said Monday.
The wife noticed the fire first, as she did laundry and saw flames in the back of the house. By the time firefighters arrived, Quinto said, half of the house was already on fire. Firefighters knocked the fire down in about an hour, but they remained there for hours afterward putting out smaller fires. As of Monday, the Red Cross was coordinating housing for the husband and wife, Quinto said.
