A tenant in a house on Small Tracts road noticed a fire early Thursday morning and called Haines Volunteer Firefighters around midnight.
When they arrived there were “open flames coming up out of and around the chimney,” said Chief Brian Clay.
Twelve volunteers responded and split into teams – one attacking the roof and the other the second floor. They were on the scene for about three hours, used four trucks, and about 4,000 gallons of water shuttled via a tanker.
But the fire was extensive enough that the two story A-frame house is no longer habitable.
“It’s got holes in the ceiling and the roof itself. There’s a lot of smoke and water damage,” Clay said.
He said the tenants have family members in town they can stay with. The homeowners could not immediately be reached for comment.