The Homer Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire last Monday. According to Homer Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mark Kirko, the owner of a building that is the former Qwik Stop convenience store and gas station on Ocean Drive found a fire on the west side of the building.
Kirko says the owner had already used two fire extinguishers and a garden hose when fire crews arrived at the scene.
“It only consumed what appeared to be mostly one room in the structure, a little bit of heat and smoke damage in other areas but the main body was contained to a single room,” he said.
Kachemak Emergency Services also arrived and helped the department to do an overhaul, where responders look for where a fire may start again.
Kirko said there have been around six structure fires in Homer this year, and that this is fairly typical. But, he says that the station has received more calls than this point last year.
“What is really starting to become more apparent is what we call a double tap, which is two calls happening at the exact same time,” he said, “could be a fire and an EMS call or multiple EMS calls going on at the exact same time. So it stretches our resources a little thin when that occurs.”
One person had light smoke inhalation trying to extinguish the fire, but Kirko says no one was transported to the hospital.
