One person was killed and another hospitalized with severe burns in a house fire in the Mendenhall Valley early Saturday morning, according to Capital City Fire/Rescue and Juneau Police Department officials.
The fire started at about 4 a.m. at a house in the 8200 block of Aspen Avenue, with the cause still under investigation, according to a CCFR update published at about 10 a.m. The home was fully engulfed by the time firefighters arrived on scene and the structure is considered a total loss.
“During the search and suppression efforts, an individual was found outside the structure with severe burns to their upper body,” the update notes. “The male victim was immediately transported by ambulance to Bartlett Regional Hospital and later medevaced out of town for specialized burn treatment.”
“While crews continued to fight the blaze and search for other potential victims, a second individual was located inside the residence. Tragically, this person was pronounced deceased at the scene by fire department personnel. Further investigation revealed a deceased dog inside the home, as well as a minor injury sustained by one additional occupant. He departed the scene without medical treatment.”
A firefighter carries a hose toward a Mendenhall Valley house still experiencing flareups hours after a fire started early Saturday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A GoFundMe set up on behalf of Elizabeth Martinez Ruiz states her husband, Bryan, was killed in the fire, while other members of the family survived. More than $27,000 was raised as of Monday morning and the fundraising page states “Elizabeth will be bringing her husband’s remains to Mexico to lay him to rest.”
An initial post on CCFR’s Facebook page at about 4:30 a.m. stated the fire had been knocked down. However, additional firefighters were called back to the scene at about 8 a.m. due to ongoing flareups in the house.
“This fire taxed Juneau’s resources with all on duty personnel and available firefighters conducting firefighting operations, providing emergency medical care and responding to additional calls for EMS,” the fire department’s updated notice states.
An oil leak from the home’s heating system discovered by emergency responders was reported to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Spill Response Team.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
A fire burns at a home on Aspen Avenue in the Mendenhall Valley early Saturday morning. (Capital City Fire/Rescue photo)
