On June 17, 1953 a fire broke out on the military port of Whittier, Alaska. In under four hours the fire destroyed three warehouses, a 1,200 foot wharf, and a large amount of supplies. The cost ended up being $20 million – the costliest fire in Alaska to date. General Buckner Builds Whittier Whittier, Alaska was the brainchild of Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., the American general in … [Read more...]