1 person dead after blaze at Anchorage apartment building, fire department says

One person died after being rescued from a burning apartment building in the Campbell Park neighborhood Monday night, the Anchorage Fire Department said.

The blaze severely damaged the 14-unit apartment building and all residents were displaced, the department said in a statement.

Firefighters were called to the complex at Wright Street and East 46th Avenue, near Lake Otis Parkway and Tudor Road, around 7:45 p.m., said Assistant Chief Alex Boyd. Firefighters were told that a person was trapped near the fire, the department said.

The first crews arrived about three minutes after the call and saw heavy smoke pouring from the building and flames inside, near the back, the department said.

“The rescue crew was able to locate the unconscious resident, remove them from the fire area and begin emergency care,” the department wrote. “Unfortunately the resident was beyond help and died from their injuries.”

It took a little over an hour for crews to control the fire, Boyd said. In total, 21 units from the department were dispatched to the scene, Boyd said. One firefighter suffered minor injuries while doing fire suppression work, the department said.

All of the residents in the building were displaced by the fire.

“The third floor is a total loss,” Boyd said. “There’s significant damage on the second floor and water damage throughout the building.”

The Red Cross was at the scene to provide housing assistance Monday night. It was not clear how many people lived in the 14 apartments.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and Boyd said an investigation is ongoing.