Update 12 p.m., Oct. 5: A tall, unoccupied wooden building known locally as the Old Swanson’s Apartment building is on fire. The Bethel Fire Department responded to the scene just before 7 a.m. on Oct. 5.
At first there was just thick, eye-stinging smoke filling the air near the river. A fleet of fire trucks and ambulances arrived, flashing red and white lights in the early morning darkness. One firefighter walked the perimeter of the building, shining a thick beam from a large flashlight into the windows. Then a hole opened in a wall of the second story, showing orange flames burning within the structure. The hole quickly grew, and the firefighters began assembling hoses.
By 10:30 a.m., a tower of gray-brown smoke billowed from the burning building, drifting across the Kuskokwim River. Firefighters shot jets of water from four hoses into the building. Three hoses aimed from the ground into busted windows with flames behind them. One hose doused the building from above, the firefighter holding it standing on a long, white ladder stretching from a fire truck. Water that didn’t turn to steam poured down the sides of the structure.
Firefighters rotated holding the hoses. One stopped to take a break, pulling off his helmet. Sweat matted his hair as he hungrily shoved a footlong Subway sandwich into his mouth, following it with a Gatorade before returning to fighting the flames. Bystanders gathered across the street in Swanson’s parking lot, many holding up phones, watching the action. City of Bethel Water and Sewer Foreman Clyde Erickson had been on the scene since 7 a.m., directing a parade of water trucks.
“I just need to make sure that the water trucks have enough water to fight the fire,” Erickson said. “We’ve been rotating trucks consistently since we got here. First we started off with five trucks. Now we’re down to three, and I hope to get down to two. Then we can get back on route and start filling people’s houses.”
Erickson said that people who don’t receive water as scheduled on Oct. 5 will be the first priority for Oct. 6. Fewer water trucks were needed at the scene after the city began pumping water from the river to feed some of the hoses.
The building is located on the portion of Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway known as Tundra Way. It sits between Sam’s Restaurant and the Old Swanson’s Furniture Store. Bethel police have closed Tundra Way and are detouring traffic towards Main Street and Front Street.
Swanson’s Store General Manager David Hicks said that Swanson’s has not owned the burning apartment building for many years.
Original story:
A tall, unoccupied wooden building known locally as the Old Swanson’s Apartment building is on fire. The Bethel Fire Department responded to the fire around 7 a.m. on Oct. 5. As of 9:45 a.m., the firefighters were hosing the flames with water.
The building is located on the portion of Bethel's Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway known as Tundra Way. It sits between Sam’s Restaurant and the Old Swanson’s Furniture Store.
Bethel police have closed Tundra Way and are detouring traffic towards Main Street and Front Street.
Swanson’s General Manager David Hicks said that Swanson’s has not owned the burning apartment building for many years.
This is a developing story. Check back for more information.
