Longtime Butte fire chief, another officer leaves department

BUTTE — A departure of two leaders of the fire department last week has prompted the installation of an acting chief.

For now, Eric Van Dusen will head the Butte Fire Department. He replaces Charles Von Gunten.

“He’s done an incredible job for us with 43 years of service. He’s had an opportunity to influence generations of first responders and people who have dedicated themselves to service to the community,” Mat-Su Borough Deputy Director of Emergency Services for firefighting, Otto Feather said.

Efforts to reach Von Gunten failed. In a Frontiersman profile of him written in 2010, then-chief Von Gunten recounts his first days with the department:

“I started out basically as just a firefighter in September of 1970 when I moved into the area. I went down and Bud Barnhardt owned the sawmill down there and I needed some lumber but I didn’t have any money,” Von Gunten said. “He said, ‘I’ll give you the lumber but you go down there Monday and join the fire department.’”

Barnhardt was the chief then. Eventually, in 1983, Von Gunten would replace him.

In 43 years the department has grown substantially. It was initially strictly a firefighting organization but now runs ambulances and rescue operations, even off-road rescues. Butte is the department often responsible for helping people who get into trouble around Jim Creek and other parts of the Knik River Public Use Area.

Van Dusen, meanwhile, was proclaimed Firefighter of the Year last year in the borough’s annual ceremony. He received the honor for his actions in the grass fire that threatened Cedar Hills subdivision off of the Glenn Highway in December 2012. Van Dusen rescued three firefighters when flames overtook their fire engine.

Also departing the Butte Fire Department last week was high-ranking officer John Akers.

“He, too, gave many years of service to the community and we’re very thankful for all of his efforts,” Feather said.

Asked about the reason both men left, Feather declined to say.

“We want to make sure that people know that we’re very thankful for the service these two gentlemen have made,” he said.

Asked if the departure was abrupt or if the department had time to prepare, he said that Von Gunten, at least, had been thinking about transition.

“I think it’s something that’s been talked about the chief for sometime as to how he makes the transition and passes the baton to the next group of leaders there,” Feather said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.

• Profile of Von Gunten — bit.ly/1g1ensE

• Profile of the new interim chief — bit.ly/1gJu6OB