Alaska State Troopers have charged a Nikolaevsk man with arson for allegedly starting a home on fire Friday. Anchor Point Fire and Emergency Services and troopers responded to the fire late Friday evening.
Jon Marsh is deputy chief of Anchor Point Fire and Emergency Services.
“We were dispatched about 10:45 to what was described as a porch fire at a residence on Nikolaevsk Road,” he said. “When we got there, the porch was on fire and had extended into two of the rooms of the house.”
He says the house was unoccupied and no one was hurt and says it took crews about 20 minutes to fully extinguish the blaze.
Still, he says the house is likely a total loss.
“There was heavy fire damage to half of the home and the other half has heavy smoke and water damage,” he said.
He says the State Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the fire. According to Alaska State Troopers, Derek Jokay was seen walking away immediately after the fire. After an investigation, troopers arrested Jokay for arson in the second degree and transported him to Homer Jail. Jokay has an extensive criminal record including convictions for assault, shoplifting and resisting arrest.
Update: This story was updated to reflect Marsh’s new comment on the time of the fire.
