Following a fire that destroyed its old school earlier this month, the City of Chevak has passed a resolution declaring a state of emergency.
The resolution, passed on March 23, says that the city does not have the funds or equipment to clean up the burn site, which, the resolution says, contains hazardous materials, including asbestos. Chevak’s resolution asks the state for funding and equipment, including a bulldozer, to clean up the debris.
Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said that Chevak's bulldozer is not working.
“We’re looking at ways that we can satisfy that request, whether that’s to find a way to get a bulldozer to the community or repair what’s there, and then the community would be able to do some of the clean up,” Zidek said.
The school building that burned on March 8 had been built in the 1970s and had remained unused for more than a decade. The community had hoped to turn the building into a community center.
