Fire rips through Talkeetna home

TALKEETNA — A house fire outside Talkeetna forced a couple’s quick evacuation Friday as flames engulfed the second story of their home.

Firefighters responded to a blaze on Jubilee Drive just before noon after the homeowner called for help.

Talkeetna Firefighter Tim Morgan identified the homeowner by the last name of Gordon, but did not have his first name.

Mat-Su Borough property tax records show a Linda Gordon on Jubilee Drive, but officials could not confirm she is the homeowner.

Jubilee Drive is about three miles from the Talkeetna Spur and Parks Highway intersection.

The structure was saved, but sustained damage to the upper level and some water damage to the first floor, Talkeetna Capt. Vern Gunter said.

It’s unclear what sparked the fire, but Gunter said it got so hot that by the time his crew arrived the second floor furniture was about to combust.

At the scene, Gordon was attempting to extinguish the fire using 5-gallon buckets of water, Gunter said. The flames were too intense, however, and firefighters had to break out a second-floor window to attack the fire head-on.

Gunter, a 12-year Talkeetna firefighter, said some homeowners in the area try to fight the fire with garden hoses until help can arrive. This time of year, however, those hoses are frozen, so buckets were the only method Gordon had.

Assessing the situation, Gunter said Gordon was lucky to get a call out when he did.

“It was definitely in the nick of time,” he said.

Further complicating matters on the scene was a long, mostly unplowed driveway leading up to Gordon’s property.

Gunter said the obstacle prohibited tankers carrying water to navigate the road, and hoses had to be run from the trucks to the house.

The first image firefighters saw when they arrived was flames shooting from the sides  of the home’s roof, Gunter said.

“It was a good, hot fire going,” he said.

Aggressively attacking the flames from a second-floor window, the fire was extinguished without injury to the homeowner or firefighters.

“We were able to cut it off before it got too low,” Gunter said, referring to saving the first floor from fire damage.

As of press time a definitive cause of the fire was unknown. Gunter said it’s important to remember this time of year to take care of the area round chimney pipes by keeping combustible materials at least two inches away.

Keeping driveways reasonably plowed can also help, Gunter said, using the trouble tankers had with the unplowed road to Gordon’s house as an example.

Also, calling for help as soon as a fire begins is crucial to help responders. Gunter said Gordon’s house was likely saved because he didn’t hesitate to call 911.

“He saved his own house, basically.”

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.