Palmer dispatch received a 911 call at 4:21 a.m., and sent emergency crews to 2179 N. Kelso Lane off Equestrian Street.
The residents, Daniel and Sonja Grant and their three children, were asleep when a smoke alarm sounded. About the same time, Kevin Wallace, a neighbor and an Anchorage firefighter, knocked at their door to awaken them.
 ANDREW WELLNER/Frontiersman Clean-up progresses Monday hours after an early morning fire severely damaged this house near Palmer |
Once the fire was contained, firefighters found a guinea pig, a cat and chihuahua, all uninjured. Two cats remain missing.
Owen said when firefighters arrived they found flames shooting through the roof of the two-story house.
The Palmer Fire Department responded with two tankers, one engine and several command vehicles. Central Mat-Su Fire Department also was on hand with three tankers, one engine and several command vehicles. Palmer Ambulance stood by in case of injuries.
“This is an unfortunate situation for the family, and we are saddened by the tragic loss of their home,” Owen said. But he said the outcome could have been worse.
“The two departments worked together seamlessly. It was textbook firefighting,” he said. “We are pleased at the effective response by Palmer Fire and Central Mat-Su Fire, the safe rescue of their pets, and the fact that no one was hurt or injured.”
He described the damage to the home as severe. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The source of the fire, Owen said, appears to be in the vicinity of a room over the garage and then it spread through the truss system of the 2,200-square-foot home.
The family found refuge at a neighbor’s house across the street. The Red Cross is assisting with housing and other needs.
This winter has been a hard one with several homes burning and two lives lost.
Wednesday, 9-year-old Anthony Woods was killed and his 12-year-old brother, Vincent Woods, was seriously injured when their trailer home burned. On Jan. 5, Darlene Miller, 54, was found unconscious and badly burned but alive at a home on Melanie Avenue in Wasilla. She later died of her injuries at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
“Everybody’s using their heaters a lot more and they’re stoking up their heaters and their fireplaces a lot more,” Central Mat-Su Assistant Fire Chief Michael Keenan said last week.
He advised people to make sure their chimneys are clean and their wood as dry as possible. They should also make sure they have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
“That’s what’s going to give them that warning,” he said.
Andrew Wellner contributed to this story. T.C. Mitchell can be reached at tc.mitchell@frontiersman.com or 352-2268.
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10 comment(s)Erin wrote on Jan 17, 2009 10:56 PM:
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Josh & Ely "
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