Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A vacant 1960s-era house near the airport in Toledo was heavily damaged by an overnight fire.

Its cause is under investigation.

Crews were called about 11:45 p.m. to what was initially suspected to be a brush fire in a field at the 200 block of Spencer Road, according to Lewis County Fire District 2.

Approximately 25 firefighters from three districts battled the blaze, which appeared to have started in the garage, Fire Chief Wiltbank said.

“I didn’t know it was a garage, I thought it was carport, there was so little left of it,” Wiltbank said.

Flames spread through the grass and also burned a small garden shed, he said.

The chief said the rambler is owned by a family trust of a man who is deceased and has been for sale for at least the past couple of years.

The home was unfurnished and empty, but crews were on the scene for about two and a half hours because they had to remove the sheetrock of the vaulted ceiling piece by piece.

“It was a tough, tough job,” he said. “Everyone was very tired when they got done with it.”

Updated

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 52-year-old man from Tacoma was injured when his Harley Davidson ran into the passenger side of an oncoming vehicle that turned in front of him on state Route 508 in Cinebar yesterday afternoon.

Troopers called to the scene about 3:50 p.m. concluded the eastbound Buick Enclave was making a left turn onto Panisco Road; its driver was uninjured, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Gregory J. Stewart, of Tacoma however was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the state patrol. Stewart is listed in serious condition this morning.

His passenger, Elsie A. Thomas, 50, also from Tacoma, was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital where she was treated and then transferred to an unspecified hospital.

The driver of the 2014 Buick, Leonard E. Corbett, 58, from Bellevue, was to be issued a citation for failure to yield the right-of-way, according to the state patrol.

Lewis County Fire District 8 Chief Duran McDaniel said he and his passenger were evaluated by medics. Their airbags had deployed and the side of the vehicle was pushed in probably about six inches, he said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Fire officials describe the forest fire near Pe Ell as 25 percent contained this morning, with 200 personnel still actively working.

The Fork Peak fire reported on Thursday evening is burning on private timberland owned by Rayonier, about five miles southwest of Pe Ell. It’s in Pacific County, at the Lewis County line.

“The fire activity at this time is smoldering with brief runs with moderate spread potential,” the Department of Natural Resources states in its morning update. “Smoke will be visible from the town of Pe Ell and adjacent communities.”

Crews today will be scouting and developing locations for containment lines, according to DNR spokesperson Nick Cronquist.

Its incident command center is located at the Falls Creek Retreat Center about 10 miles west of Pe Ell.

DNR is advising the public avoid to Elks Creek Road, A-Line and Forks Creek Road near the fire area to help firefighters in minimizing any potential hazards.

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For background, see ” ‘Really big’ wildfire spreading southwest of Pe Ell” from Friday Sept. 12, 2014 at 9:15 p.m., here

Smoke can be seen from the red-outlined area in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. / Courtesy photo by Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Updated at 5:36 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Fire personnel are monitoring a fire burning in a remote and inaccessible section of the Goat Rocks Wilderness estimated at six acres in size.

The cause is undetermined; however the area did receive numerous lightning strikes in mid-August, according to a spokesperson with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It was first reported on Sunday.

Smoke may be visible from U.S. Highway 12 and occasionally from Packwood, according to Public Affairs Officer Diana Perez. It’s burning about nine miles east of Packwood.

They’ve named it the Goat Fire.

There are no fire related road or trail closures at this time and no known threat to the public, according to Perez.

Cowlitz Valley Ranger District Gar Abbas says fire personnel are actively scouting the surrounding area for appropriate locations to safely construct containment or contingency lines if needed. They are also making daily weather and fire observations of the area, according to Abbas.

Updates will be shared with the public if any significant changes occur, Perez states in a news release.

Lewis County Historic Courthouse / Courtesy photo

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A celebration will be held today in honor of the Lewis County Courthouse’s inclusion on the state and national registers of historic places.

The three-story building at 351 NW North Street in Chehalis was built in 1926 and 1927 and earned the two distinctions this summer.

An open house will run from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m., with county employees dressed in period attire. Tours are available.

The structure that encompasses the city block on the north side of Main Street no longer houses any courtrooms – just various county departments – and is referred to as the Historic Courthouse.

Lewis County District Court and Lewis County Superior Court occupy the third and fourth floors of the brick building on the south side of Main Street, the Lewis County Law and Justice Center.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 21-year-old woman is listed in fair condition this morning after her car drifted off U.S. Highway 12 near Oakville, headed into a ditch, rolled onto its side and then struck a tree before catching fire.

She and a six-month-old baby left the vehicle before it caught fire, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Troopers called just before 2 a.m. to the area near Blockhouse Road describe the Toyota Scion as totaled.

Monica R. Lopez and the infant girl, both from Oakville, were taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the state patrol. The baby was not injured, but transported as a precautionary measure, according to the investigating trooper.

The state patrol concluded Lopez had been traveling westbound and fell asleep at the wheel. She was to be issued a citation for second-degree negligent driving.