Kaktovik crane operator who fought 2020 fire now helps rebuild school

A Kaktovik man who fought the February 2020 fire that destroyed most of Harold Kaveolook School now operates a crane on its rebuild. The temporary replacement building initially had no gym.

RoyRobert Fischer-Akootchook attended the school through high school and helped expand its gym in 2016. He was a volunteer firefighter the night of the blaze. UIC Construction says he earned National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators certification in 2026, rejoined the company in 2023, and that the rebuild is his first job as a certified operator.

"We did everything we could to save it," Fischer-Akootchook said. "I even plowed through hallways with a loader and dumped mountains of snow to help stop the spread of the fire."

The rebuilt gym, 23,645 square feet, opened in December 2025. The rest of the school is due to be finished in winter 2027-28.

Local people "can play an important role in building our own communities," Fischer-Akootchook said.

"We're committed to investing in people, especially when we can develop skilled workers right here in Alaska," said Robbie Lynn, UIC Construction's general manager.