A 39-year-old man who was being detained at the Mountain Village Police Department died early Friday when the building caught fire, Alaska State Troopers said.
Troopers said they were notified of the blaze — which significantly damaged about two-thirds of the building — around 6:30 a.m. Two men were being detained when the fire broke out, and one was safely evacuated, troopers said. The other man, local resident Lawrence Chiklak, was found dead, they said.
Troopers said both men were being detained by Village Police Officers on “Title 47 holds,” sometimes referred to as mental health holds.
A Village Police Officer was treated for minor injuries at the Bethel hospital, troopers said. The community of Mountain Village, which is located along the Yukon River, is roughly 110 miles northwest of Bethel.
Deputy fire marshals with the State Fire Marshal’s Office responded Friday to investigate what caused the fire and where it started.
“A preliminary investigation determined that the fire originated in one of the occupied holding cells and was likely started with a lighter by one of the two men detained,” troopers said.
Chiklak’s next of kin have been notified and his body was sent to the state medical examiner to be autopsied, troopers said, noting that the investigation remains active.
At least 24 people have died in fires so far this year in Alaska.