This document summarizes several fires that occurred in Ketchikan, Alaska between 1924 and 1975. It provides photos and details about major fires that destroyed buildings like the Revilla Hotel in 1924, the Canadian Steamship Prince George in 1945, the Redmen Building and Coliseum Theater in 1956, and the Main School in 1975. It also discusses the arsonist Bill Mitchell and his role in setting simultaneous fires in Ketchikan in 1961. Additionally, the document outlines the history of the Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Department from its early days in the 1900s through updates to facilities and equipment over time.

1. The Many ‘Fires’ of
By Dave Henderson
Updated 2/11/2023

2. March 28, 1924
Revilla Hotel Fire (Viewed from Mission Street, looking north west)

3. Revilla Hotel Fire - 1924
Owned by Charles Ingersoll, and replaced by the Ingersoll Hotel in 1925

4. Revilla Hotel Fire – 1924 (viewed from Front St. looking east)

5. April 8, 1943

6. 1943 – The USCG laundry fire destroyed
Tatsuda’s 415 Stedman Street Store

8. August 13, 1945
Fighting the Ketchikan Cold Storage fire
on the “waterfront side.”
Photographer: Sixten Johanson
Donor: Inez Shewbert,
Courtesy Tongass Historical Society
View looking south along the
waterfront, from atop a building
just north of the Cold Storage
facility.

9. Fighting the Ketchikan Cold
Storage fire on the “street side” of
the building, August 13, 1945.
View looking south down Front
Street from above the Tunnel and
over the intersection of Grant and
Water Street.
KPU Bldg.
Ketchikan
Cold
Storage

10. Ketchikan Cold Storage Fire - 1945

11. September 22, 1945
Towed to and grounded in Tongass Narrows, West Channel, on Gravina
Island just north of Clam Cove

12. Smoke billows from the Canadian Steamship
Prince George while fighting the fire from the
Ketchikan City Dock.
Photo courtesy Ketchikan Fire Department
September 22, 1945
CSS Prince George being towed away and
beached on a Gravina beach in theTongass
Narrows West Channel.

13. Canadian Steamship Prince George Fire - 1945
Ship towed from the dock and allowed to burn when it
became clear that the fire was uncontrollable.
Donor: Bert Libe, CourtesyTongass Historical Society

14. Canadian Steamship Fire - 1945
Beached on Gravina Island

15. Canadian Steamship Fire - 1945

16. 16

17. 1947

18. Tatsuda’s Grocery Store Fire – 1947
415 Stedman Street

19. July 30, 1952

21. 21
July 30, 1952
Standard Oil Company Fire

22. 22
Standard Oil Company Fire
July 30, 1952

23. Standard Oil Company Fire - 1952

24. Standard Oil Company Fire - 1952

25. Standard Oil Company Fire - 1952

26. Standard Oil Company Fire - 1952

27. Standard Oil Company Fire
July 30,1952
Aftermath of the fire:

28. Date Unknown

29. September 1953

30. Presbyterian Church Fire - 1953
View from behind the Federal Bldg. looking towards Stedman St.

31. April 1, 1954

32. April 2, 1955
Fighting the fire in the shop
area from the alley way. The
shop is located behind the
store in the Ingersoll Building
on Mission Street.

33. Smith Electric Fire - 1955
View from Mission Street,
looking north into the alley
way located between Front
and Main Streets, in the
block between Mission and
Dock Streets.

34. Smith Electric Fire - 1955
34

35. May 21, 1956
View from
Main Street,
looking up
Dock Street,
towards the
east
The end of the Peter Pan Café (Redman Bldg. Fire)

36. Redmen Building Fire -
1956
View from Mission Street
at the intersection with
Main Street, looking north

37. Redmen Building Fire - 1956
37
View from Mission & Main Street intersection
Coliseum Theater is the gray building on the right

38. View from Mission St. between Front & Main St., looking east
Redmen Bldg./ColiseumTheater Fire
May 21, 1956
Donor: Estate of Ralph M. Bartholomew
Courtesy Ketchikan Museums
38

39. Redmen Building /
ColiseumTheater
Fire -1956

40. 40
View from Dock St. near the intersection with Edmonds St., looking west
Redmen Bldg./ColiseumTheater Fire
May 21, 1956
Donor: Estate of Ralph M. Bartholomew
Courtesy Ketchikan Museums

41. Redmen Building/ColiseumTheater Fire -1956
View from Dock St. at the Edmonds St. intersection,
looking west

42. Redmen Building / ColiseumTheater Fire -1956
Businesses affected:
Redmen Lodge,
Ketchikan Meat Co.,
Ralph’s Liquor Store,
Herb’s Sporting Goods,
Bamboo Room Lounge,
Thunderbird Bowling Alley,
Martine’s Dress Shop,
Champion Shoe Store,
Coon Bros. Portrait Studio,
Coliseum Barber Shop,
Ann’s Beauty Shop,
Coliseum Theater,.,
Peter Pan Café.

43. Redmen Building/ColiseumTheater Fire -1956
View from Mission Street, looking northwest over the top of the
Music Store Building

44. Redmen Building/ColiseumTheater Fire -1956

45. Redmen Building / ColiseumTheater Fire -1956
Photo taken from the roof of the Downtown Commercial Bldg.
(M&M Bank) at the corner of Dock and Main Streets.

46. Redmen Building/ColiseumTheater Fire -1956
Cleanup after the fire

47. January 1, 1958
Fire gutted the entire block on
the southwest side of Front St.
from Dock to Mission Sts.,
wiping out a dozen business in
the Ryus and Ferris buildings.

48. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958
IrelandTransfer on Heckman Wharf on fire
Donor: Estate of Ralph M. Bartholomew
Courtesy Ketchikan Museums
48

49. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958
View before the fire, as seen from Front
Street just north of Dock Street, looking
south towards the West Coast Grocery
Building on Mill Street
View during the fire, as
seen from Front Street
looking south towards the
Dock Street intersection,
the Ryus Drugstore and
the Sourdough Bar

50. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958
View from Front Street at the intersection with Mission Street
looking towards the northwest. The city wharf is to the left.

51. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire – 1958
View in the middle of Front Street,
between Mission and Dock Streets.

52. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958

53. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958

54. Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958

55. 55
Heckman Wharf/Front St. Fire - 1958

56. January 12 & 26, 1960
No Photo Currently Available
On the 12th the Fire Dept. was able to put out the fire with minimum
damage. 13-days later broke out again and destroyed the building
and it neighbors. Businesses affected: Pools Shoe Store, Wells Book
Store & part of Ketchikan Cold Storage.

57. May 10, 1960
View from the intersection of Front and Mission Streets

58. Marine Hotel Fire - 1960
View from Mission Street between Main & Front Streets, looking
towards the southwest. The fire truck is in front of the building
housing Howards Café, the Alaska Bar and the State Apartments.

59. January 25, 1961
This fire destroyed the Ketchikan Mortuary on Main St. and part of
the 108 Bar next door, as well as a part of the Bon Marche building
behind it.
No Photo Currently Available

60. July 4, 1961
View from Bawden &
Dock Street intersection,
looking towards the
southeast.

61. Federal Apartments Fire – July 4, 1961
View looking northwest on Mission Street

62. Federal Apartments Fire – July 4, 1961
View looking west from a building on Barney Way

63. Federal Apartment Building Fire - 1961
View looking south down Bawden Street,
looking towards Dock & Mission Streets

64. Federal Apartment Building Fire - 1961
View from Dock St., looking towards Bawden St. and Barney Way

65. Federal Apartment Building Fire - 1961
Close-up view of fire, from Dock St. looking towards Bawden St.

66. Federal Apartments Fire
July 4, 1961 @ 3:24 p.m.
Arsonist strikes again -
with simultaneous fires set at:
TongassTrading Co.
UpstairsApartments
@ 3:20 p.m.
Stedman Hotel
Above Downtown Drug
@ 4:40 p.m.
66
and

67. Date Unknown

68. Early 1960’s

69. April 10, 1965
New England Fish Co, viewed from Tongass Narrows

70. New England Fish Company Cannery Fire - 1965

71. New England Fish Company Cannery Fire - 1965

72. New England Fish Company Cannery Fire - 1965

73. New England Fish Company Cannery Fire - 1965

74. 1968

75. July 1968

76. Date Unknown

77. ?? ??, 1975
~ No Photos Currently Available ~

78. September 14, 1975

79. Main School Fire - 1975
View from above Dock St.
looking over 1st National
Bank, Main St. & the
Redman Hall.
1st National Bank
Redman Hall
Elks
Fire Station

80. 80
Main School Fire – 1975

81. Main School Fire – 1975

82. Fire Lt. Billy Mitchell
A MAN WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF A CITY:
The Firebug Bill Mitchell
By June Allen

83. William (Bill) Mitchell
Bill Mitchell's K.V.F.D. portrait, 1960
Donor: Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Department
Courtesy Ketchikan Museums
Bill Mitchell's F.B.I. Mug Shots, July 4, 1961
Donor: Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Department Photo
Courtesy Ketchikan Museums
83

85. KetchikanVolunteer Fire Department, circa 1905

86. KVFD “Fire Drill” –
Front & Market (Mission) St., Ketchikan, Alaska - 1913

88. Main Street, between Mill & Mission Streets
Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Dept., Circa 1920’s

89. KetchikanVolunteer Fire Department, circa 1932
Main Street, between Mill & Mission Streets
Photo
courtesy of
Art Bryant

90. Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Dept., New Station, Late 1930’s
Main Street, between Dock and Grant Streets

91. Water Street, looking north (City Float is on the left)

94. KFD Main Station ~ 1940’s

96. West End Fire Station ~ 1958
Tongass Avenue at Austin Street

97. New Ambulance, 1966

98. The Ambulance at the west end fire station (Station #2)

99. Ketchikan Firemen, Practice Drill, Early 1960’s

100. Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Department
Station #1 – Through the years
KVFD Cook Book

101. The first KVFD Fire Boat

103. The second KVFD Fire Boat: MV H.B. Newell

104. The third KFD Fire Boat
MV Harry Newell

105. The NEW Ketchikan Fire Station No. 1
March 2012 105

106. 106

107. 107
Presentation By:
Dave Henderson
Ketchikan, Alaska