Anchorage

Man dies in Lake Otis Parkway house fire

One man died after a fire ripped through an Anchorage home Friday morning, said John See, Anchorage Fire Department spokesman.

Capt. Matt McSorely said he and other firefighters found the man unconscious in a hallway inside of the home on the 13000 block of Lake Otis Parkway.

The man was given CPR and taken to the hospital, See said.

The fire department is working to identify the man's family and has not released his name. He is believed to have had limited mobility, McSorely said.

McSorely said the fire first ignited in the living room of the single-family home where multiple space heaters were kept. He said it appeared the fire was related to the heaters but investigation is ongoing.

"The whole house is damaged beyond repair," McSorely said.

McSorely, one of the first firefighters on scene Friday morning, fell through both the outside deck and an inside floor but was not injured.

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"The structure itself was in a state of disrepair," See said.

Firefighters were unable to find any working smoke detectors inside the home, he said.

Anchorage Fire Department dispatchers said the fire, first reported at about 8:40 a.m., was under control as of 10 a.m. The fire prompted the hourlong closure of Lake Otis Parkway near DeArmoun Road.

Anchorage School District spokeswoman Heather Roach said an automated call had been placed to parents of students at the nearby Rabbit Creek Elementary School informing them of the traffic change.

"We're asking parents to drop off their kids at the Brayton Drive entrance, because the main entrance is blocked off due to the fire," Roach said.

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

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