By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A Sitka woman was pronounced dead early Saturday of injuries related to a fire Friday afternoon in a trailer at 147-F Price Street.
Police said the victim was Betty Jo Edenshaw, 58, and the trailer’s listed owner is Robert Nielsen.
A neighbor called 911 at 2:57 p.m., reporting the trailer was on fire, with flames visible through the windows.
Fire Chief Dave Miller said a fire truck, the fire chief vehicle and an ambulance were dispatched immediately, followed very soon afterward by the ladder truck.
“We arrived just after 3 p.m.,” Miller said.
Flames were still visible when he arrived at the scene, he said. He estimated 22 firefighters and EMTs responded, who were a combination of volunteers and paid fire hall staff.
“We attacked it right away,” he said. It took 6 to 7 minutes to knock down the fire.
It appeared the only person home was the woman, who was in a bedroom. Once she was taken out of the trailer, EMTs initiated CPR and took her to the hospital, Miller said.
She was pronounced deceased in the early morning hours Saturday, he said. Police Chief Robert Baty said Edenshaw’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner in Anchorage to determine the cause of death, the chief said.
Miller said it appears the fire started in the living room, but the cause at this point is unknown. It’s under investigation by both police and fire departments, he said.
Miller estimated the damage was at least $50,000, but doesn’t believe the trailer is a total loss, due to the quick response of firefighters.
Miller said the firefighters and EMTs did a good job responding quickly to the emergency, and noted the difficulty in putting out trailer fires. “They did a great job,” he said.
