A house fire Monday evening leveled a Mud Bay home before firefighters were able to control the blaze. One resident present escaped safely without injuries.
The Haines Volunteer Fire Department received a call reporting a house fire at six-and-a-half mile on Mud Bay Road at 6:47 p.m. By the time the first fire truck arrived twenty minutes later, the whole structure – the home of Michael George and family – was on fire, and Clay said there was no chance of saving it.
“We were just in defensive mode, trying to keep it to just the house,” said Clay.
In total the Haines volunteer department mustered fifteen firefighters, assisted by another eight firefighters from the Klehini Valley Fire Department. Also on scene were Haines Borough Police officers Maxwell Jusi and Travis Russell, who helped clear debris and haul hoses. The fire was extinguished at 8:04 p.m.
Clay said he made the call for help from the Klehini Valley department as soon as he heard the dispatch. “When I hear a call from Mud Bay I get really worried,” Clay said, citing the lack of fire hydrants and dense vegetation as major challenges.
Firefighters ran hoses through small gaps in the treeline between the house and the road, and as backup arrived, others used chainsaws to cut away trees for more access.
The two tanker trucks, one from each department, made a total of four trips back towards town for more water, Clay said. While the nearest hydrants were at the start of Small Tracts Road, the tankers were driving a full six-and-a-half miles, almost to downtown, where water pressure is higher and tankers can fill faster. Each trip supplied 3,000 gallons, Clay said. Once the flames were tamped down, a neighbor volunteered their excavator to clear out trees, metal, appliances, and timbers from remaining hotspots.
“It’s important for us to have access, and this house didn’t have access,” Clay said. “We had to make our own.”
Clay said his initial assessment is that a smokehouse on the property first caught fire, which then spread to the main house. While the home is a complete loss, Clay said it was lucky it happened on a dead-calm evening. “If there was a 10 mile per hour wind blowing, that thing would’ve spread,” Clay said. “We would’ve been fighting a forest fire, and we don’t have the resources for that. We would’ve had to call for help from Juneau.”
Clay emphasized the importance of preventative measures against wildfires, and suggested homeowners check a state website for information on how to do so. Important points include clearing shrubs trees, and firewood away from any structure.
The Haines Ministerial Association has been in contact with the George family and an online fundraiser has been set up for their benefit.