Rural Alaska

Western Alaska teen injured in propane huffing incident, troopers say

A teenage Alakanuk girl was injured when a propane tank a group of young people were huffing fumes from caught fire, the Alaska State Troopers said Monday.

Troopers from Emmonak were called to the Lower Yukon River village of about 650 people at 9 a.m. on Monday for a "fire and explosion," the agency said in an online dispatch.

Initially, trooper spokesman Tim DeSpain said a 14-year-old girl was hurt when "a tank exploded."

Later, troopers said there had been no explosion.

"Several juveniles had gone onto someone's property and were huffing propane," troopers said in an updated statement. "The propane tank caught fire and was shooting fire out from the top of the tank."

A 14-year-old girl was hurt, troopers said. The injured teenager was flown to Bethel for medical treatment.

Troopers said the report would be forwarded to the Division of Juvenile Justice in Bethel.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

ADVERTISEMENT