Skagway Fire Department battles another fire | KHNS Radio

About two weeks after a vehicle fire on the Klondike Highway, the Skagway Fire Department was called to a structure fire. There were no injuries and the fire was brought under control.

The Skagway Fire Department responded to a fire on June 8 at 4:20 p.m. Flames were burning through the roof of an accessory building on Ninth Avenue.

The property is next door to the former Jewell Complex, which burned in February 2023. The complex is still fenced off and contains charred remains.

Resident Mark Walker was about a block away on a playdate with his grandson when he realized something was wrong.

“We heard a boom, coming from the east, I guess, from where we were,” Walker says. “And so we jumped up and went down the aisle.”

Walker and his friend tried to call 911, but were unable to get through. Probably Walker said it because others were calling to report the incident.

“By the time we got there, the whole porch was on fire,” Walker said.

Walker was surprised by the location of the fire.

“Oh, it’s just extremely unlikely that that’s going to happen,” he said.

The owner of the property, Kathy Shen, recently finished repairing damage to the main house caused by last year's nearby fire.

She says the building affected by last week's fire was employee housing. The main house and the storage trailer were unharmed. According to her, “the firefighters did an excellent job” and “the important thing was that no one was injured.”

According to Fire Chief Emily Rauscher, the fire was accidental in nature and started on the porch. Skagway's six professional firefighters and two volunteer firefighters responded to the incident, along with three rehabilitation volunteers. The rehabilitation team ensures first responders can rest, stay hydrated and eat. They also screen first responders for emerging medical problems.

Although it was a long day for everyone, it was a marathon day for one family – the Rupprechts. Her husband, Shane, is a professional firefighter and his wife, Kortney, is a rehabilitation volunteer. That morning they ran the Duff Half Marathon. When the call came in, they both reported to the fire department.

Chief Rauscher reminds the public to stay away from an area if there is a fire in progress.