Flames devour Trunk Road home

A woman and her 18-month-old son escaped unharmed Sunday afternoon from a blaze that consumed a wood-frame, ranch-style residence located in the 900 block of Trunk Road.

The Central Mat-Su Fire Department battled the fire with four engines, five tankers, one rescue unit, and Palmer Ambulance, along with an additional two tankers assisting from the Palmer Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Michael Keenan said the flames inflicted $375,000 worth of damage to the property and its contents. The blaze ignited in the home's full, finished basement, but its cause is still under investigation, he added.

"The mom was upstairs when the smoke detector went off," Keenan said. "The 18-month-old boy was downstairs in a finished bedroom, asleep. She got him out and went and got her husband, who was doing work outside.

He went back to the house, saw smoke, and called us with a portable phone. By the time we got there, it was 80-percent involved. We consider that a smoke detector save."

The flames spread rapidly. The initial call from the residents went out at 1:22 p.m., the first firefighters arrived nine minutes later and the first engine was on the scene at 1:34 p.m., Keenan said.

"We're kind of baffled as to why it spread so quickly," he said."It was a complete loss except for the garage. It was a rough one for us."

The occupants of the home, Eric Dearborn and his family, are currently staying with relatives, Keenan said.