A Kodiak resident has died in a structure fire over Memorial Day weekend.
The Bayside Fire Department responded to a reported blaze at 353 Benny Benson Drive Unit 3, near Spruce Cape Road, around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, May 26.
Bayside Fire Chief Scott Ellis said in a press release that the fire was already burning when the three initial units arrived at the scene about seven minutes after being dispatched.
Although Bayside was the first department on scene, a mutual aid request was put out for the City of Kodiak Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard Fire Department to assist with fire suppression. Chief Ellis told KMXT Radio that he highly commends the response and level of commitment of the crews who assisted with this fire.
Firefighters found one person inside the burning trailer home. She was transported to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center, and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Alaska State Troopers identified the victim as 70-year-old Olga Malutin.
Troopers said a preliminary investigation discovered that the fire started in Malutin’s bedroom and was likely electrical in nature.
The Bayside Fire Department declared the fire under control shortly after 3 a.m. that same morning on May 26, with the mobile home still mostly intact.
No other structures were damaged or fatalities were reported as a result of this blaze.
