Second fire within two days destroys home at Switzer Village; family out of town when it occurs
- Mark Sabbatini
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
‘My kids and I don’t have no place to go,’ father says as donations sought to replace family’s lost belongings
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A residence at Switzer Village Mobile Home Park was destroyed by a fire late Monday morning while the family living there was out of town, the second major fire at the trailer park within the past two days.
Capital City Fire/Rescue posted a notice at 11:38 a.m. on its Facebook page it was working to contain the fire in the northern section of the mobile home park. Charlie Paul, who lived at the trailer with his family, said he and his two children had left earlier that morning to visit his wife who is receiving care at an Anchorage hospital.
"I made sure everything was turned off before I left," he told the Juneau Independent in an interview early Monday afternoon.
Paul said he learned about the fire when a neighbor called him to report it, and there was no opportunity to save possessions or pets inside. He said his family lived in the trailer for nine years and will stay with his mother temporarily when they return from Anchorage on Christmas Day, but they now need a new home and new belongings.
"My mom said we can come there until we find someplace, but my kids and I don't have no place to go," he said.
Messages by relatives and friends seeking donations for the family were quickly posted on local social media pages. Paul’s mother, Hazel Shorty, said she’s accepting items at her home at 9328 Glacier Hwy., Apt. 21. Paul is also accepting donations through a Venmo account at @Charles_8.
Paul said the most immediate needs for his family are clothing and shoes.
Monday’s fire occurred about a day and a half after a fire on Saturday night that resulted in the death of Calvin Olsen, 38, the lone occupant at the time.
Both fires occurred during a record-setting cold snap, including single-digit temperatures reported downtown and below-zero temperatures in the Mendenhall Valley on Monday. CCFR, in an update about Monday’s fire on its Facebook page, noted conditions were slowing both the response to that incident and other calls received.
"The cold weather has made operations much more difficult," the post notes. "Firefighters get exhausted faster, equipment freezes or breaks and getting access into buildings can pose a challenge."
"We have had a batch of medical calls during this fire that we have to triage as we run out of resources. If it’s not a time sensitive emergency or they are in a clinic setting, we will have to delay responses and get to them as quickly as we can. We apologize for some of the delays, however that’s the reality of a small town without neighboring departments to help back fill."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
