Alaska State Troopers and the GlennRich Fire Department responded to a cabin ablaze in Copper Center on Sunday. The structure burned to the ground and was a complete loss.

After the fire was extinguished, an investigation of the scene discovered a body. The blaze was so intense, the identity of the person consumed by the blaze could not be discerned. The body has been transported to the State Medical Examiner’s office for autopsy and a positive identification.

The owner of the cabin is stated to be that of Harlan Parker, age 71. Residents of Copper Center say that Parker has not been seen around the community since the fire and they assume that the body was his. According to Albert Craig Jr, of Copper Center, “He(Harlain Parker) was the only one living there, so it was probably him, no one has seen him around since the fire.” Parker was last seen at the cabin this last Saturday.

The investigation into the fire and the identification of the remains is still underway.

Copper Center is located between mile 101 and mile 105 along the west bank of the Copper River at the confluence of the Klutina River. The community grew from a large Athabaskan village in the 1800s after it became a principle supply center for miners at the turn of the century.