1 dead, 1 seriously injured in house fire in Ketchikan

A house fire in Ketchikan Sunday morning left one person dead and another seriously injured.

Ketchikan Fire Chief Rick Hines said neighbors in the apartment above the fire noticed smoke and called for help around 8:30 a.m

When firefighters arrived on scene, Hines said they found light smoke coming from the building and a small internal fire that was easily extinguished. Emergency responders transported the two victims to PeaceHealth Medical Center, where one was pronounced dead. The second victim was taken to the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage.

Hines said both victims, who were a couple, were injured not by the flames in their home but by inhaling the smoke.

“If I generalize the fire casualties across the United States, the majority of cases are smoke inhalation,” Hines said. “A fire produces toxic smoke. It’s going to be filled with cyanide, it’s going to be filled with carbon monoxide and heat.”

Hines said the home did not have working smoke detectors. He said it’s even more important for residents to have smoke detectors now than it used to be because modern materials burn hotter and produce smoke more quickly.

“These things happen very, very, very quickly in the modern home,” Hines said. “Almost everything in our homes these days is made of plastic, so to speak of gasoline derivatives, if you will.”

An upstairs neighbor did go to the hospital to be checked out, Hines said, but was released. No other residents of the building were injured, but they were evacuated due to smoke and water damage.

The burned building is on Second Avenue, right next to the area where a deadly landslide occurred on August 25. Hines said his condolences go out to the evacuated residents who only recently returned to their homes after being evacuated for weeks following the disaster.

Michael Fanelli covered business and anchored the statewide morning newscast at Alaska Public Media.