Fire destroys home on Kalispell Drive

A fire on Saturday night destroyed a home on Kalispell Road, according to Talkeetna Fire Chief Eric Chappel.

Chappel says multiple families lived on the property where the house burned, totaling seven adults and six children. While some property residents did not live in the house, Chappel says the fire affected everyone.

According to Chief Chappel, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but arson is not suspected at this time. He says twenty-five firefighters responded to the emergency call, which came around 8:30 pm on Saturday. They belong to departments from Talkeetna all the way to West Lakes in Wasilla. By the time responders arrived, the fire had already burned through the roof of the home.

Chappel says firefighters did everything they could to keep the fire from spreading, and were able to keep water on the house continuously for hours. The last responders left between five and six-o-clock Sunday morning.

Those affected by the fire received assistance from the Red Cross of Alaska. Lisa Miller of the Red Cross says the families were provided with quilts and “comfort kits,” which include things like toiletries. They were also provided with financial assistance to help in obtaining shelter.

As of Monday, Miller said the families had not established a point of contact, but those wishing to help can contact the Wasilla office of the Red Cross. She notes that the Wasilla office is not able to accept donations of clothes or other items, due to space limitations.

Miller adds that, later this month, the Red Cross will be installing more than 850 smoke alarms around the state including in Talkeetna and Willow later this month.