Fire in Shishmaref destroys family home
A family home in Shishmaref burned to the ground in a fire last week, July 30.
Around 9 p.m. on July 30 a fire broke out at the Turner home, just hours after a family gathering. Once the fire was discovered, the family members were able to leave the home before the flames took over.
The Turner family lost all their belongings in the fire. In the aftermath, the family received donations both financial and physical, and expressed gratitude for their community’s support.
The Mayor Amber Fernandez made a call to the Alaska State Troopers at 10:15 p.m., which prompted them to call the Nome Volunteer Fire Department and issue a case number. A crew of four firefighters was dispatched to Shishmaref, where the Village Public Safety Officer and community had already been working to suppress the fire.
With their portable hydrant systems and stronger pumps, NVFD put the fire out.
This is the second fire in the Norton Sound Region in the last month that has destroyed a building. The fire that took Stebbins’ School devastated a community. This time it was a home and is another example of how vulnerable villages without fire departments can be.
Kawerak’s Emergency Preparedness Specialist Kevin Knowlton said the department is in the process of helping Bering Strait communities with an assessment of their emergency preparedness, which includes fire readiness. The biggest issue when it comes to fires is equipment and understanding of fire mitigation tactics.
“Shishmaref is fortunate. They have a VPSO, when they go through the academy they receive firefighting training,” Knowlton said.
Of the 15 regional villages, only eight currently have VPSOs.
While the Nome Volunteer Fire Department is ready and able to dispatch to any location, it typically takes about an hour to get the equipment and volunteers rounded up, not to mention a plane. In the case of the latest fire in Shishmaref, it was a challenge to find a pilot at 10 p.m. Thankfully retired pilot Larry Eggart was available to fly the crew out. Because the troopers called NVFD, the chartered flight was funded by the state, otherwise, NVFD Chief Jim West Jr. said, it would be difficult to afford to get out there.
“Money is always the question, but we love to help, and we’ll go anywhere. We’ll figure the money issue out after everything is contained,” West Jr. said.
Education and Prevention
Knowlton, said that because of more popularized usage of petroleum-based products in building materials, fires burn over four times faster than they did 30 years ago. “The problem with that is it takes approximately an hour for us [NVFD] to be on scene. And typically, we’re not the first that the community will call for assistance. They’re busy doing their stuff, and we understand that,” said Knowlton, who is also the assistant chief of NVFD.
Closing doors when you go to sleep at night can help establish a survivable space for longer if there is a fire elsewhere in the home, Knowlton said, providing an opportunity for a safe escape. This is called the Close Before you Doze program.
Smoke detectors
While it’s important to know what to do after a fire, prevention is Knowlton’s main concern, “If we can stop it from happening, then we don’t have to respond to it.”
Knowlton’s department works with the American Red Cross on their Sound the Alarm Program, which provides smoke alarms and educates families on fire safety. “I’ve got roughly 70 smoke detectors in my office right now to go to Shaktoolik. We’ll try to get one in each household,” Knowlton said.
Going village by village, the goal is to install detectors in every bedroom in every home, with elders prioritized.
Knowlton said more communities can establish fire departments, but they must assemble a willing volunteer group and make a formal resolution. From there, the tribe and city can work with Knowlton at Kawerak to locate the funding to develop the department. “Koyuk is a prime example of one of our newest communities in the region that established a VFD. They don’t have equipment and train at this point but now doors are opened for them to have access to that,” Knowlton said.