A garage on Highland Drive burned to the ground late Saturday night.
A garage fire at the end of Highland Drive destroyed two small business and a freezer filled with a season’s worth of subsistence foods. On Saturday around 10 p.m., a motion censor installed to detect bears was triggered by flames instead, homeowner Jonathan Dixon said.
“We ran outside and we grabbed fire extinguishers and my oldest son called the fire department,” Dixon said. “The few fire extinguishers we had didn’t put it out. We had a hose but it was frozen.”
Dixon runs an engraving business out of his garage, and his son-in-law, Trevor Barrett, operates a small knife-making shop in the space. All their tools, along with the structure, were completely destroyed.
“Smoke was rolling inside the building,” Dixon said. “We decided it wouldn’t be smart to go in. I tried briefly to go get something out of the shop but the power went out and it was pitch black and there was all this smoke. I didn’t need to risk my life for a piece of equipment.”
The garage was about 40 feet away from their home, and the Haines Volunteer Fire Department arrived in time to keep the flames contained, Dixon said. He attributed an extension cord short, but an official cause is yet to be determined.
“I admire the fire department so much,” Dixon said. “They worked really hard.”
HVFD chief Al Giddings said 15 firefighters and three medics responded. They broke up the debris and extinguished smoldering remains.
“The garage housed a metal-working shop and the resident informed us there were propane bottles and gasoline cans in the shop. Several small explosions were heard,” Giddings said. “There are no hydrants on Highland Drive so our water tankers were deployed and pumped water to (the fire engine) to supply the attack lines. Several trees were extinguished on the west side of the structure.”
Giddings said the structure was valued at $15,000, not including its contents.
The HVFD responded quickly to the scene, preventing further damage.
Residents responded generously, Dixon said, and provided the family with a new freezer, financial assistance and food. Their freezer had been filled with salmon, halibut, berries and garden harvests.
“Everything we froze was gone. All that hard work over the whole summer. People have been offering help,” Dixon said. “It’s so nice. It’s such a loving community. We’re so grateful for all the help. We were so low Saturday night. By Sunday, we were getting all of these messages from people telling us they’re worried about us and they want to help. And it hasn’t stopped.”
The family also lost, skis, bicycles and a snowblower.
Dixon said a small CNC engraving machine was posted for sale shortly after his was destroyed, which he purchased in an effort to rebuild.
