KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Dark Lake ballfield dug out on fire. Kodiak Police Department photo
It was a busy Saturday morning for the Bayside Volunteer Fire Department, which had to respond to three suspicious fires on the east end of town.
Alaska State Trooper Brian Mitchell said the first fire, a bus stop on Monashka Bay Road, was reported just before 6 a.m. The second fire reported, just after 7 a.m., was a 1994 Chevy Blazer that was burning on Antone Way. It was also a total loss. The third fire was a dugout at the Dark Lake ball field, which also was considered a total loss.
Though reported at 10:15, Kodiak Police Chief T.C. Kamai said in a press release that investigators are speculating the dugout fire was started earlier in the morning and smoldered for some time before fully igniting.
Total damage estimate for all three fires is $7,000. No injuries were reported. Kodiak Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the three suspicious fires.
Bayside Fire Chief Bob Himes said he could not say if Saturday’s spree was related to a series of arson fires during 2008 in those same general areas.
