72-year-old Soldotna resident dead in Sunday house fire

Published 9:30 pm Tuesday, November 21, 2023

A Sunday morning house fire left a 73-year-old Soldotna resident dead, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.

According to a dispatch from troopers, they heard around 5 a.m. that Central Emergency Services had responded to a structure fire at a Soldotna home. The residence, it says, “was fully engulfed.”

While combating the fire, responders found the body of Dan Vernon Dacus inside the home. Soldotna troopers, investigators and a deputy fire marshal responded to investigate, and Dacus’ body was not identified until after being sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

The origin and cause of the fire are currently under investigation, troopers say.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsulaclarion.