A house fire in the early hours of Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in Noorvik, Alaska, has resulted in the death of a woman and five children.
The fire occurred in a small Inupiat community of about 650 people, roughly 500 miles northwest of Anchorage, as confirmed by Alaska State Troopers.
The identities of the victims, who were found in the fire-ravaged home, have not yet been publicly disclosed.
Troopers’ spokesperson Tim DeSpain reported that the children were aged between nine and 16 years.
Comprehensive identification efforts are underway by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage. It is not yet known if the deceased woman was the biological mother of the children.
Residents of Noorvik became aware of the blaze around 6 a.m. Despite efforts to douse the flames, the intensity of the fire had already engulfed the house, rendering any rescue attempts futile.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire may have originated near a stove, which was reportedly in poor condition. However, the investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet confirmed this as the definitive cause.
Governor Mike Dunleavy and First Lady Rose Dunleavy have extended their condolences to the affected families and the Noorvik community.
The Inupiat are indigenous people of Alaska, particularly concentrated in the state’s northern and northwestern regions, including the North Slope and the Bering Straits. They are part of the broader Inuit community, which spans across the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Russia.
As investigations continue, efforts are being made to notify the victims’ relatives.
