The Bethel Fire Department has released more information about a house fire that destroyed a home in Bethel on March 14 near H-Marker Lake. Bethel Fire Chief Daron Solsbee said that the department determined the fire to be unintentional. He would not give further details on the cause of the fire. He described the damage to the house as a “total loss.”
Eleven firefighters responded with two fire engines and one ladder truck. There are no fire hydrants in the area. To put out the flames, the firefighters called the City of Bethel Public Works. They responded with three water trucks, each delivering approximately 3,500 gallons of water. The fire fighters brought the blaze under control around 10:30 p.m., and fully extinguished it at 12:30 a.m. on March 15.
Two occupants, Earl Polk III and his 9-year-old daughter, Rosebud Polk, received minor burns and were transported to the emergency department of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation hospital in Bethel. They are receiving assistance from Alaska Red Cross and community members. Donations for the family can be dropped off at 4006 Sonny’s Way in Bethel’s Larson Subdivision. There is a donation account set up at Alaska USA for the family under the name Earl A. Polk III, account number 5094317.
