Fire at Totem Late Saturday Night
Valdez, AK – Valdez Fire Department personnel responded to reports of a structure fire at the Totem Inn late Saturday evening.
At approximately 11:48 p.m. Saturday, Valdez Fire and Police Dispatch received multiple reports of a fire at the Totem Inn on Richardson Highway. One of the reports came from an off-duty volunteer firefighter who then began knocking on hotel doors to evacuate guests.
Within minutes, fire department engines arrived on scene and responders discovered an active fire in the kitchen of the Totem Inn’s restaurant.
One team of firefighters verified all hotel guests had been evacuated from the building, while others secured utilities and began work to extinguish the fire in the adjoining restaurant.
At approximately 12:37 a.m. Sunday, Fire Department personnel deemed the fire under control and began overhaul efforts.
The Totem Inn’s restaurant was closed at the time of the incident.
No injuries have been reported. The owners of the hotel are coordinating housing for those displaced by the fire. American Red Cross personnel were also activated to provide assistance following the incident.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
TOTEM INN OWNERS APPRECIATE FIREFIGHTER EFFORTS
Connie Ballow and Mike Williams sat outside the Totem Inn Sunday morning as crews worked to determine the extent of damage caused by Saturday night’s fire. It is not known at this time how long the Totem will be closed, but there is a lot of fire damage and it will take some time to get back up and running. “No one was hurt”, Ballow said. “And we are extremely thankful for the firefighters, volunteer firefighters and all the people who have come out to support us”.
