A fire has consumed a house in Bethel. The fire started sometime before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The house, commonly referred to as the “Polk Home," is located on the road to H-Marker Lake. Acting City Manager Bill Howell said that there were no injuries and no fatalities reported and that the Bethel Fire Department has the fire under control.
At the scene, two fire hoses sprayed streams of water into the two-story home engulfed in orange flames. Fire shot from the windows, the doors, and through the roof, which eventually collapsed.
Thick black smoke billowed from the house, arching across the blue sky as planes took off from the Bethel runway and shot through the smog. Lights from at least two fire trucks flashed red and white in front of the house. Two police officers directed traffic away from the road leading directly towards the home, telling drivers that the city water trucks needed room to get through. The water trucks rushed to the scene in a constant succession, supplying water to the fire hoses. Before approaching the house, the water trucks turned around and drove in reverse a quarter-mile down the road to reach the home.
Spectators parked vehicles along the roadside. People leaned out of their windows or stood next to their four-wheelers, trucks, and SUVs, watching the smoke and flames. Children rode their bikes to the scene, tossing them onto the grass before running onto the tundra to get a closer look.
This is a breaking story. KYUK will supply updates as they become available.
