After a thorough investigation into the suspicious fire in the southeast community of Naukati on May 20th, and following multiple interviews, the blaze that took a community building, was determined to have been ignited as a result of not properly extinguishing a fire in a fire pit in the building.

The building, constructed mainly of Red Cedar, had a partial wood floor with a fire pit in the dirt portion of the floor. Dry weather and winds made for tinder-like conditions at the site.

The pit had been used earlier in the afternoon by community members and those members left the building after believing that they had extinguished the fire. Troopers say, “the fire reignited and eventually reached the wooden floor of the building. By the time the fire was discovered by other community members, the shelter was totally engulfed and was ultimately destroyed by the fire.”

The community will be re-building the structure.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

  accident, Alaska, fire, naukati, pit fire, structure