Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Winlock man was hospitalized with a head injury after his vehicle collided with a 500-gallon propane tank and burst into flames on private property south of Chehalis yesterday.

The 56-year-old motorist thought he was traveling along North Military Road but instead was at Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers just west of Interstate 5, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Stephen G. Kamhout was operating a 2003 Ford Expedition which was destroyed, according to authorities.

He was able to flee the vehicle and when contacted by law enforcement appeared to be under the influence of intoxicants, sheriff’s Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

Lewis County Fire District 5 was joined by personnel from Districts 15, 7 and 2 and put water on the tank until someone was able to get close enough to shut off the valve, Firefighter Sam Heldreth said. Nobody else was injured.

Two nearby propane tanks were not affected, Breen said.

Ritchie Brothers is a heavy equipment auction business.

Kamhout was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital to be medically cleared for booking but they kept him to treat a head injury, Breen said.

A case for driving under the influence will be referred to prosecutors for charging, Breen said.

Four fire departments responded to commercial structure fire on South Gold Street. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A fire that broke out this morning at Burkett Auto Sales in Centralia was extinguished before it could spread to an adjacent office and large shop building.

The fire on the 1100 block of South Gold Street however did an estimated $30,000 damage to the shop area of the building, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

Firefighters called at 8:35 a.m. were responding to multiple 911 calls reporting heavy black smoke coming from the building, according to Fire Capt. Casey McCarthy.

They were joined by crews from the Chehalis Fire Department, Lewis County Fire District 6 and West Thurston Regional Fire Authority. Nobody was injured, according to McCarthy.

Burkett Auto repairs and sells used automobiles. The cause is under investigation.

The scene on South King Street in Centralia. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Four adults and four children are displaced after a house fire during the night in Centralia, which started as a clothes dryer fire.

Firefighters called at 12:43 a.m. to the home on the 500 block of South King Street found all the occupants had gotten out and were uninjured, according to Riverside Fire Authority. Two cats perished, according to Fire Chief Mike Kytta.

“Firefighters quickly attacked the main body of fire which was located in the utility room and kitchen,” Kytta stated in a brief summary of the incident.

Firefighting efforts were challenged for short period of time by a live electric power line that was in the vicinity of the utility room, according to Kytta.

The fire department Tweeted it began in the laundry room where the dryer was in use at the time and heavily damaged the rear of the home. It left smoke and heat damage throughout, according to Riverside.

Riverside was assisted by the Chehalis Fire Department. The residents are they are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Centralia police were called at 2:10 a.m. today after an individual said he was confronted by two masked males who tried to rob him as he was making a delivery to an auto parts store on the 1100 block of West Main Street in Centralia.

The males were armed with knives, demanded his money and he refused, according to the Centralia Police Department. The victim ran to get help, police said.

“Upon returning to the scene it was discovered that the suspects entered the victim’s vehicle and stole his backpack,” the police department stated in a brief summary of the incident.

This case is under investigation.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Police got a call about 6:25 a.m. today from a citizen who reported the Centralia City Light payment drop box had been broken into and everything taken.

An officer responding to the 500 block of North Pearl Street found it was opened and empty, according to the Centralia Police Department.

A representative of the utility was contacted and advised items from inside the box had been collected on Friday, according to police. They will be checking with other employees tomorrow to determine if anything was taken, according to police.

The case is currently under investigation.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Centralia police this morning began investigating after they were advised a hospital in Thurston County had a victim of a gunshot, who claimed he was shot in the Centralia area, but couldn’t provide an exact location.

Officers were notified about 5:35 a.m. but by the time they arrived to the hospital, the patient had already left, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Police Sgt. Kurt Reichert said it’s starting to look as though the incident actually occurred in the Seattle area, and they are reaching out to police there.

The male is associated to an address up north and local officers learned an incident did occur up north, according to Reichert.

Hospitals are required to notify police of gunshot wound patients, and sometimes such victims intentionally provide misinformation, Reichert said.