Firecracker causes fire in Talkeetna Post Office mailbox

On Memorial Day, the mail collection box outside of the Talkeetna Post Office was vandalized.  According to an announcement by the Post Office, a firecracker was dropped into the box, which ignited the contents.  The Talkeetna Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire before it spread.  Fire Chief Ken Farina says that firefighters were unable to open the mailbox and extinguished the fire by cutting a hole and pouring water in. Chief Farina confirmed that pieces of paper that looked like they had come from an exploded firecracker were found upon further inspection.

The Talkeetna Post Office says that any mail placed in the box after Saturday at 12:35 pm was destroyed. An inspector for the U.S. Postal Service removed the mailbox as evidence. The USPS is asking that anyone who witnessed the vandalism or suspicious activity in the area of the collection box contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.