A 72-year-old Jesuit priest in Chefornak was the likely victim of a morning fire in that village on Wednesday, troopers report. Positive identification has yet to be made by the State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage.

Witnesses report that a fire broke out in the Church Rectory on Wednesday morning, and despite efforts to reach the victim inside the residence, tentatively identified as Father Theodore Kestler, villagers were ultimately unsuccessful.

Alaska State Troopers traveled to the community 95 miles to the southwest of Bethel, and confirmed that there had, in fact, been a fatality in the blaze.

A Deputy Fire Marshal responded to the community and is working to determine the cause and circumstances of the fire.

Kestler’s next of kin have been informed of the possibility of his death.

There were no other injuries reported.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

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