WILLOW -- Emergency responders found a Willow man dead of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning today.
Firefighters found the man in the loft of a cabin just off the Shirley Lake air strip two miles south of Willow, said Willow fire chief Lance Barve.
Responders encountered extremely high levels of carbon monoxide inside, said Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.
The man, whose identity was not yet available, was in his 50s, Barve said. He had apparently hooked propane bottles inside the cabin to a wall-hung heater and water heater without ventilation, the chief said.
A neighbor called 911 around noon Thursday after finding the man. She had dinner with him Wednesday night and told responders he left his dog at her home because the animal didn't want to leave, Barve said. The woman said the man had complained about his health.
"He stated he hadn't been feeling well for the last week," the chief said Thursday afternoon. "She went over to check on him this morning, after he didn't come for the dog."
The woman felt the effects of the carbon monoxide even in the short time she was in the cabin, Barve said.
Troopers are on scene and trying to locate next of kin, Peters said.
By ZAZ HOLLANDER
zhollander@adn.com