Mother’s Day Fire Kept Departments Busy Well into the Night

(Editor’s note: The second audio file is a more polished version with more details)

Diana Gish and Jay Barrett/KMXT

A Mother’s Day fire pumped billowing black smoke in the air for several hours in Bell’s Flats yesterday.

Alaska State Trooper Dennis DePrau said the fire started off of South Russian Creek Road next to a house. He said the source is stilling being investigated but it’s likely to have started with a barbeque.

The location of the fire was located at the intersection of Cotton and Layta and spread to near the feed store on Russian Creek Road.

Women’s Bay Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dale Rice talked live on KMXT’s Midday Report.

— (Fire 1 :16 "It was a …two tractor trailers.")

DePrau (du-pra) said it didn’t take long for the fire to fan out from its source.

— (Fire 2 :09 "It started spreading …fishing gear.")

Maggie Wall lives in Bell’s Flats. She described what she could see of the fire from her home on Bell’s Flats Road.

— (Fire 3 :39 "And I saw … what it was.")

The fire started around three o’clock yesterday.

— (Fire 4 :29 "It took several … in the fire.")

The fire was put out by around eight p.m. DePrau (du-pra) said that the fire departments faced challenges due to the fire’s location.

— (Fire 5 :33 "The problem is … was helping.")