Crews

A major fire destroyed a building set to become the village of Point Lay's new power plant, early Wednesday morning. Acting Fire Chief Anthony Neokok says the blaze broke out at the two-story building sometime between midnight and 1:00 a.m. The entire fire department in the small village responded, but the fire was too intense to bring under control, according to Neokok. As of 7:30 Wednesday morning, a second crew was on scene monitoring hot spots in the still smoldering building.

Bulldozer crews are on the clock this Independence Day, trying to break down mountains of snow, which still tower over some parts of Anchorage after a winter of record snowfall. At American Landscaping, along C st. in South Anchorage, crews “roll” the surface of their pile every day or so, scraping off a top layer of gravel, which can insulate the snow, slowing its melt. “I don't know how high it is now, looks like about 80 feet,” said Glenn Ball, owner of American Landscaping, as he looked up at what he estimated to be about 280,000 cubic yards of leftovers.

People from all over the world visit Alyeska Ski Resort to ring in the New Year, but those on top of Alyeska Resort on New Years Eve, experienced a little more than what they paid for. One guest suffered minor injuries when strong wind gusts caused the resort's tram to hit the upper tower around 7:20 p.m. Monday night. Two guests and three employees were in the first car and two employees were in the second car. According to the resort, 80 guests dining at Seven Glaciers Restaurant had to be transported via chairlift and by snowcat as crews inspected both the tram and the twoer.

An early-morning house fire Saturday destroyed an Eagle River home. The Anchorage Fire Department says the fire happened just before 6 a.m. on Gravina Circle. When crews arrived, the three-story home was in flames. AFD says the occupants were able to safely evacuate and crews got the fire under control within half an hour. Officials say the cause of the fire is related to unattended smoking materials.

The old Matanuska Maid dairy building in Palmer was nearly destroyed by a fire early Tuesday morning, according to Palmer officials. John Owen, the city's public safety director, says dispatchers got a call shortly after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday that the vacated building was on fire. Crews arrived to find flames completely engulfing the structure. Crews from both Palmer Fire and the Mat-Su Central Fire Department responded to the blaze, using at least two ladder trucks as well as "a number" of other apparatus.

The Point Mackenzie General Store was damaged in a Thursday morning fire, according to fire officials in the Valley. The blaze started around 6:00 a.m. and engulfed the back of the store by the time crews responded. Fire crews from Central Mat-Su, West Lake, and Houston put out the blaze within 10 to 15 minutes upon arrival. A store worker and a customer were reportedly inside when a worker turned on a stove and heard something in the back, saw flames, and called 911. There were no injuries and no word on how much damage the fire caused.

One person was sent to the hospital after an overnight fire in Jewel Lake. Anchorage Fire Dispatchers say the call for help came in at 3:38 a.m.  11 units were reportedly dispatched to the home on the 8500 block of Jade St. to battle the blaze. When crews arrived, dispatchers say they discovered 75-percent of the home was on fire. It took crews until 6:03 a.m. to get the blaze under control. The fire's cause remains under investigation, and the condition of the person hurt was not immediately available.

Homer Electric Association crews have restored power to the majority of neighborhoods after heavy snow caused a power outage in the Homer area. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the only outages remaining are in the East End Road area, past Fritz Creek. At the height of the outage, about 800 meters did not have power. Crews expect to have power completely restored later Thursday evening. Customers who still don't have power are asked to call HEA's outage reporting hotline at 1-888-8-OUTAGE.

by Channel 2 News staff Wednesday, May 19, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Crews have removed 71,000 gallons of fuel oil from the Princess Kathleen shipwreck off Lena Point near Juneau. Crews are utilizing boom, barge, and diving platforms for the cleanup process. Since the operation began in February, 11 of the 14 tanks have been cleared. The Princess Kathleen grounded in 1952. Estimates show the cleanup effort could cost $8 million. The cost is being paid out of an environmental trust fund that was set up after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Overnight avalanches have closed roads beyond Mile 3 of the Copper River Highway Friday morning, according to the Cordova Police Department. Weather reports said the area received more than 14 inches of snow. Crews were assessing the conditions and awaiting daylight to release more information.