
Willow Bryant photo.
A string of fires destroyed three mobile homes in the past several weeks and left residents without their homes, possessions and in one case, their pets.
On Jan. 4 a trailer in the Eagle’s Nest Trailer Park caught fire around 4:00 a.m. A next-door neighbor called the Haines Volunteer Fire Department, which arrived shortly after and extinguished the flames. The occupants, Gina Randles, Cody Hotch and their daughter Grace, weren’t home at the time, but lost nearly everything in the blaze.
Upon arriving to the fire, a firefighter was able to free Randles’ dog, Archer, that was on a lead outside and was trapped and being burned. Randles, who had recently moved into an apartment with her daughter, got a call from the neighbor, whose home was also damaged by the fire. Randles said a volunteer firefighter told her the dog ran away once it was freed. “I left the fire site and immediately got my family and friends out looking for Archer,” Randles said. “It took us a little over six hours and roughly seven miles of hiking before I found him.”
Randles finally found Archer on Mud Bay Road near the cannery. She took him to HARK where they applied ointment, and then took him to a vet service in Whitehorse. The vet is treating Archer for free, and only charging Randles for medical supplies. “According to All Paws he’s in excellent spirits,” Randles said. “On my voicemail they said that he’s managed to charm everyone who comes into the vet.”
Mike Ward donated a Howser’s IGA gift certificate to Hotch. A spaghetti dinner fundraiser has been scheduled in Klukwan to help Hotch with expenses, Randles said. “The amount of love and support for both Cody and Archer has been overwhelming,” Randles said.
Hotch’s next-door neighbors’ home was also badly damaged, but not destroyed. They are staying at the Aspen hotel, Randles said.
On Dec. 27, a fire at the Oceanside RV Park also destroyed a trailer and killed the resident’s dog and bird.
On the morning of Jan. 1, firefighters responded to a fire at a mobile home around 9 Mile Lutak Road. The occupants, who were unharmed, said the fire was likely started by their woodstove, according to HVFD chief Al Giddings. “When we arrived, the owners were there trying to actively extinguish the fire themselves.”
The Salvation Army and Red Cross are assisting fire victims, Giddings said.
Giddings said the causes of the fires are still under investigation. In the case of the fire at Eagle’s Nest, Giddings said, it will be difficult to know how the fire sparked. “We had to pull it apart to get every hot spot out,” Giddings said. “It compromised what would be a valid arson investigation, but we’re still looking at information that’s coming in and still trying to determine a cause.”
Giddings said residents should never leave electric heaters unattended, ensure their woodstoves are clean and serviced, and inspect heat tape wrapped around pipes.
“I think this time of year it’s very important that we’re fire conscious,” Giddings said.