Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A child was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after he was struck by a vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot in Centralia yesterday evening, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

Firefighters and medics called at 7:10 p.m. to the 2600 block of Cooks Hill Road report the 6-year-old boy was conscious and talking, but suspected of having internal injuries.

He was taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital and then flown by helicopter to Seattle, according to Fire Capt. Terry Ternan.

The youngster was riding on a small three wheeled stand-up type scooter and lost control, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Police this morning are reporting they concluded the boy traveled in between two parked cars and out into the lot just as a vehicle was driving by.

Police say the child ran into the vehicle and fell down. The understood his injuries to be minor, according to a summary of the incident from the department.

Damage on truss of Cowlitz River Bridge. / Courtesy photo by Department of Transportation

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The right lane of southbound Interstate 5 and the on-ramp at the Cowlitz River Bridge south of Toledo are closed for bridge inspection this morning.

Earlier this morning, a semi-truck hit a portion of the steel truss that supports the bridge over the Cowlitz River, according to the state Department of Transportation.

WSDOT bridge inspectors are one the scene, at milepost 59, assessing the damage.

Drivers should use caution and expect delays. There is no estimate for reopening the lane or the ramp, according to a spokesperson for the state agency.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Randle woman’s passenger car was more or less T-boned by a semi truck when she pulled out of Morton onto U.S. Highway 12 today.

Troopers called just before 3:30 p.m. found Karla Johnson, 50, from Randle, had stopped at the intersection on state Route 7, and was attempting to head east but for whatever reason pulled in front of a westbound Freightliner tractor-trailer.

She was lucky, according to Trooper Justin Schaffer.

“The truck ran over the front side of the car, instead of into the passenger (compartment),” Schaffer said. “She had just a minor knee injury.”

Her 2002 Oldsmobile Alero was totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol. The semi had some front end damage and snapped an oil line, Schaffer said.

Both were towed from the scene.

The truck driver, Ciaran Cobb, 25, from Yakima, was unhurt, according to the state patrol.

Johnson was transported to Morton General Hospital. She was cited for failure to yield, Schaffer said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Riverside Fire Authority announced this morning their investigation into the fire that destroyed a two-story house in north Centralia five days ago is inconclusive.

Oxford Avenue, July 3, 2015

The cause of the fire is classified as undetermined, according to Riverside’s Public Information Officer Scott Weinert.

Weinert indicates the area of origin was found to be the front porch of the residence.

The fire may have consumed any evidence which could have pointed to a cause, according to Weinert, but the label of undetermined allows for leaving the investigation open in case new information is discovered.

One full-time occupant was displaced by the evening blaze on the 1500 block of Oxford Avenue, according to the fire chief.

Centralia Police Department detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald today said the fire didn’t appear to be intentionally set, so he and his people are not looking into it.
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For background, read “Fire tears through Centralia house” from Friday July 3, 2015, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A fire engine from Lewis County Fire District 6 sustained a considerable amount of damage while assisting another fire department on Sunday and its driver suffered what was described as a minor injury.

District 6 issued a news release yesterday about the incident, offering almost no details. Fire Chief Tim Kinder indicated he wouldn’t say more about it until after the information is compiled for the insurance company.

Crews were trying to locate a reported grass fire that bordered the TransAlta mine, according to Kinder.

The driver was checked out at the hospital and then subsequently released, according to the news release. The incident remains under investigation.

District 6 protects rural areas surrounding Chehalis.

Multiple agencies responded Sunday afternoon to a fire involving grass, brush and an exposed coal seam on property at TransAlta Mine’s South Field.