K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For March 2nd, 2018 – Morning

ONE PERSON IS DEAD AND ANOTHER WAS HOSPITALIZED FOLLOWING A FIRE AT A CASPER APARTMENT BUILDING THURSDAY MORNING.

CASPER FIRE-EMS UNITS WERE DISPATCHED TO ST. ANTHONY'S MANOR AT 211 E. 6TH STREET SHORTLY AFTER 10:30 A.M. AFTER SEVERAL RESIDENTS REPORTED SMOKE IN THE BUILDING.

A FIRE HAD BROKEN OUT IN AN APARTMENT ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR. AS THAT FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, FIRST RESPONDERS FOUND A VICTIM IN THE APARTMENT AND PULLED THAT PERSON OF THE BUILDING. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

THE VICTIM'S IDENTITY WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASED, PENDING NOTIFICATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS.

ONE OTHER PERSON WAS TAKEN TO WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER. THEIR CONDITION WAS NOT AVAILABLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

FIRE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A SINGLE APARTMENT. FIREFIGHTER DANE ANDERSEN SAYS NO RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED.

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THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT FIRE AT THE APARTMENT LOCATED ABOVE ALPENGLOW NATURAL FOODS DOWNTOWN REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION

CASPER FIRE-EMS SPOKESMAN DANE ANDERSON SAID THURSDAY THAT FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO THE STORE IN THE 100 BLOCK OF EAST SECOND STREET AT 9:20 P.M., AND FOUND SMOKE COMING FROM THE SECOND STORY APARTMENT AND SPREADING INTO SURROUNDING BUSINESSES.

FIREFIGHTERS FOUND THE FIRE IN THE APARTMENT, AND PUT IT OUT AMID HEAVY SMOKE AND HEAT CONDITIONS.

UNITS REMAINED THERE UNTIL EARLY THURSDAY MORNING, CLEARING SMOKE FROM THE AFFECTED APARTMENT, AND CHECKING ALL SURROUNDING BUILDINGS.

ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE APARTMENT WERE EVACUATED SUCCESSFULLY, BUT ONE RESIDENT WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR SMOKE INHALATION.

TWO CATS FOUND IN THE APARTMENT DID NOT SURVIVE.

A DAMAGE ESTIMATE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.

DOUGLAS SOPER WAS A WITNESS TO THE FIRE.

SOPER IS THE QUIZ MASTER FOR A WEEKLY QUIZ NIGHT THAT ATTRACTS ABOUT 100 PLAYERS AT FRONTIER BREWING, WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY EAST OF ALPENGLOW.

HE SAID SHORTLY AFTER 9 P.M., SOME OF THE PATRONS SITTING NEAR THE DOOR SMELLED SMOKE.

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SOPER ALSO HOPED THE COUPLE THAT RUNS THE STORE AND THE STORE ITSELF WILL SURVIVE.
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U.S. INTERIOR SECRETARY RYAN ZINKE'S PLAN TO PUT MORE OF HIS DEPARTMENT'S DECISION-MAKERS IN THE FIELD HAS A FUNDAMENTAL FLAW IN THE EYES OF SOME WHO SPENT THEIR CAREERS MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
ELEVEN FORMER INTERIOR DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN BOTH WASHINGTON AND IN LOCAL OFFICES TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT MOST OF THE KEY OFFICIALS ARE ALREADY IN THE FIELD.

SOME SAID THE PROBLEM IS THAT AN INCREASING NUMBER OF DECISIONS THAT SHOULD BE MADE LOCALLY ARE MADE IN WASHINGTON BECAUSE OF POLITICAL PRESSURE, UNDER BOTH DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS.

THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT MANAGES 780,000 SQUARE MILES OF PUBLIC LANDS, MOSTLY IN THE WEST. MORE THAN 91 PERCENT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S WORKFORCE OF ABOUT 70,000 IS ALREADY BASED OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON AREA.

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WE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING OIL PRICES IN THE MID-460 A BARREL RANGE UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHEN THE STOCK MARKET PLUNGED, SO DID THE PRICE OF OIL.

BUT PATRICK DEHAAN OF GASBUDDY DOT COM SAYS THEY ARE RECOVERING WELL...

BUT HE DID SAY THAT OIL PRICES WILL SETTL INTO A FAIRLY BROAD RANGE FROM WEEK TO WEEK...

MEANWHILE, GAS PRICES ARE HOLDING STEADY, BUT WITH SUMMER APPROACHING, THEY WILL SOON START RISING.