A Yakutat man is dead and his sister\u2019s home has been gutted by a Saturday morning house fire.<\/p>\n
Yakutat police chief Robert Baty confirmed Saturday evening that Eric James Anderstrom died in his sleep, possibly from smoke inhalation. His remains are being transported to the state medical examiner\u2019s office in Anchorage for an autopsy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best that we can determine was that Mr. Anderstrom returned home late last night. It appears that he was using his stove, and that the origin of the fire came from the stove in the kitchen,\u201d Baty said by phone. \u201cIt looks like Mr. Anderstrom fell asleep in his living room. We can tell you that the fire alarms and smoke detectors were working when we got on scene. They were blaring.\u201d
When he arrived on scene, Baty entered the house, only to be engulfed in smoke that filled the house from the ceiling to his knees \u201cand there was an extreme amount of heat coming from the interior of the residence,\u201d Baty said. \u201cI\u2019m only a police chief. I wasn\u2019t geared up or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Members of Yakutat\u2019s volunteer fire department found Anderstrom on the living room couch.<\/p>\n
Anderstrom was an employee of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe and a passionate Minnesota Vikings fan. On Saturday, family and friends left messages of condolence and sorrow on his Facebook page beneath a banner proclaiming his support for the Vikings.<\/p>\n
Anderstrom had been staying at the house of his sister, Gloria Wolfe, who was in Juneau attending a Tlingit language immersion retreat with her husband Ralph, and their two children.<\/p>\n
Word of the fire spread and caused many attendees to leave early Saturday, the retreat\u2019s final day.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s still in shock now,\u201d said Yakutat Tlingit Tribe President Victoria Demmert, who deferred further comment to Anderstrom\u2019s family.<\/p>\n
Baty said Yakutat has had few fires<\/a> in recent memory, with the last occurring five or six years ago.<\/p>\n While the home had working smoke detectors, Baty said it\u2019s important for homeowners to also take steps to prevent fires. \u201cJust pay attention to your combustibles, and hopefully that\u2019ll prevent something like this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While the fire was mostly confined to the kitchen, \u201cthere\u2019s extensive smoke and water damage throughout the house,\u201d Baty said.<\/p>\n The Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has set up a crowdfunding account to help Ralph and Gloria Wolfe recover from the loss. As of 5:15 p.m. Saturday, almost $10,000 had been pledged from 93 donations. The account can be reached at https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/2h6xhjcb<\/a>.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n More news:<\/strong><\/p>\n Parking law puts the brakes on new Douglas business<\/a><\/p>\n No, the vacant Walmart isn’t going to be a community pot garden<\/a><\/p>\n Police search for stolen vehicle full of newspapers<\/a><\/p>\n