Fire completely destroyed an unoccupied home in Wasilla Tuesday morning, according to borough officials. Ken Barkley, Mat-Su deputy fire director, said about a dozen firefighters from Central Mat-Su and West Lakes responded to the call around 9:15 a.m. Barkley said the approximate 40- by 40-foot structure, located on Surrey Road off West Fairview Loop, was fully involved upon arrival. Barkley said a crew from Alaska Division of Forestry was called in to assist with a small wildland fire that was quickly extinguished. Scanner reports said the wildfire was limited to about a tenth of an acre.
Barkley said neighbors informed firefighters that the dwelling had been empty for some time. He said because of that, combined with the fact that the structure was razed before firefighters arrived, an investigation into the cause of the blaze was unlikely.