One resident was injured during a four-plex fire on Mathias Avenue Monday night after jumping from just below a second story window to escape the flames.
She was injured during the fall, shortly before emergency responders arrived on scene and assisted two other occupants from a maintenance deck just below the window.
Haines Volunteer Fire Department’s Darwin Feakes said smoke and flames were visible through the windows and on the stairway leading up to the apartment at around 9:30 p.m. when 18 fire and medical volunteers responded to the 911 call.
It took crews about 15 minutes to extinguish the flames, and another hour to make sure hot spots were gone, Feakes said.
“The apartment was heavily damaged,” Feakes said. “The other three units had only slight damage from smoke.”
Feakes said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but may have started from a discarded cigarette
“It may have started from a smoking incident, from discarded cigarette smoking,” Feakes said. “We think it may have started outside the apartment, but we’re not sure.”
Of the four apartments, only two had renters. One of the renters wasn’t home when the fire started.
Pete Dohrn owns the four-plex.
*This story has been updated for accuracy.