Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The former Centralia apartment manager accused of setting a fire at a building where she lived and worked pleaded guilty today to one count of first-degree arson.

Kathrin L. Turner

Kathrin L. Turner went before a judge today in Lewis County Superior Court with her attorney, David Arcuri.

Turner’s eyes stayed on the judge as she replied, “guilty”.

Centralia police investigated after two small fires were set on two consecutive mornings at the 1100 block of Scammon Creek Road. Turner told responders she used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames that damaged an approximately 15 square foot area of exterior siding on Nov. 3.

Three days later, Turner was found in the bathroom of a common area of the complex with life-threatening lacerations and taken to Tacoma General Hospital where she spent 45 days, according to authorities.

Centralia police concluded she’d cut her own throat and wrists.

Judge Andrew Toynbee accepted her plea and scheduled her sentencing for 11 a.m. on May 10.

She faces a standard sentencing range of 21 to 27 months in prison.

Arcuri said the reasoning behind his client’s and the prosecutor’s thinking will likely be made more clear at that hearing.
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For background, read “Centralia apartment arson suspect held on $10,000 bail” from Tuesday January 24, 2017, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A fire investigator is looking into the cause of a fire that destroyed a Morton area home today.

Nobody was home and nobody was injured, according to Lewis County Fire District 4.

Firefighters were called about 7:30 a.m. to the mobile home park on Chapman Road, off state Route 508 just west of town, according to Fire Chief Dan Powell.

“There were actually mobile homes on both sides, but no damage to them,” Powell said.

They were assisted by members of Lewis County Fire District 3.

Powell said a small camp trailer was lost as well.

The person who resides there was away this morning, the chief said.

Firefighters held house fire to bedroom. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

Updated at 6:03 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An elderly woman escaped safely when an oxygen machine and bed caught fire during the night at a home near Providence Centralia Hospital.

Firefighters called about 2 o’clock this morning to the 600 block of Nick Road found flames in the bedroom of the mobile home, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

They were joined by the Chehalis Fire Department and extinguished the fire, which was confined to the bedroom, according to Capt. Scott Weinert.

The mattress was almost completely consumed and damage was mainly the bed and adjacent furniture however there was smoke damage throughout the residence, according to Weinert.

The woman got out before the first crew arrived and suffered a minor burn injuries to her torso, according to the fire department. She was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital for evaluation, Weinert said. He described her condition as stable.

The fire is believed to have started when the occupant fell asleep with a lit cigarette, Capt. Tim Adolphsen stated in a memo this afternoon.

Though smoke alarms were present, they were not working.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Tacoma Power and the Lewis County Department of Emergency Management will conduct a coordinated test of their emergency notification systems at 11 a.m. today.

Tacoma Power’s emergency sirens at Ike Kinswa State Park, Mayfield Lake Park and the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery will sound and include an announcement of the test.

Mossyrock Dam

The sirens and loudspeaker are part of a system that would be used to alert the public in the event of any imminent catastrophic-type failure of either of the two dams which could cause uncontrolled release of water downstream, such as an earthquake, according to Tacoma Power’s Jason Lellie, the emergency action plan coordinator at the utility’s power generation division.

Tacoma Power owns and operates Mossyrock Dam and Mayfield Dam on the Cowlitz River.

Both organizations conduct annual system tests, but this year marks the first time they have synchronized their efforts.

“Public safety is our number one priority,” Tacoma Power Chief Dam Safety Engineer Toby Brewer stated. “While we have a robust emergency action plan in place, the success of these systems in helping to keep people safe depends on all of us working together.”

Lewis County DEM will send two test messages using its new alert notification system. The first will alert users that the siren test is about to begin; the second will announce that the siren test is over.

The test should last approximately 90 seconds.

Lewis County’s notification system has replaced the former Code Red system. Users must register to receive the alerts and may choose to be notified by cell phone, landline, text message and/or email.

“We encourage Lewis County residents and visitors to register as soon as possible so they can receive future notifications,” said Lewis County DEM Coordinator Jim Rich.

People can register by:
• Visiting www.lewiscountywa.gov then clicking the “Lewis County Alert” icon at the bottom of the page.
• Calling (360) 740-1157 to speak with a member of the Lewis County DEM staff.