The Daily Alaska Empire

Damage High In Downtown Cordova Fire
Many Are Homeless; Apartment, Theatre and Stores Burned

CORDOVA. Oct. 11 - (P) - This Prince William Sound fishing community was without a theater today and many of its residents were homeless in the wake of a $500.000 business district fire.

The fire swept through three buildings, including the theater, early yesterday and threatened the entire downtown business district before Cordova firemen and firefighters from the Civil Aeronautics Administration station at Mile 13 brought it under control.

Firemen said the blaze apparently started when the furnace in the Imperial building overheated or exploded. The flames quickly spread to the adjoining Evans building and Raynor apartments.

Occupants of the Raynor apartment building were evacuated safely but many were left without clothes or bedding and lost all their personal belongings.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Evans, who lived in the back of their store in the Evans building, were nearly trapped.

Firemen helped Mrs. Evans through a back window, however, and Evans crawled on his hands and knees out the front of the building.

Firemen were hampered in their efforts to get at the blaze by the fact the fire was below street level in its early stages. Later choking smoke filled the street and firemen were unable to approach the building.

Within minutes after the Evans made their escape, the two buildings exploded into flame, shattering windows across the street and showering firemen with glass.

The flames spread to the Raynor building after the explosion. An hour after the first alarm flames still were raging out of control and firemen directed their efforts to confining the fire to the three buildings. The blaze was brought under control by 8 a.m., but continued to smoulder throughout the day.

Two weather factors helped the firemen: a fresh breeze kept the fire from jumping the street and engulfing the entire business section and a persistent drizzle prevented other fires being started by flying embers.

The Raynor building housed about 21 apartments, the Empress theater, several offices, a jewelry store, and the Alaska Communication System office.

The Imperial building housed a bar, liquor store and the town's only barber shop. A dry goods store and the owners' quarters were in the Evans building.

Losses were only partially insured.