Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A fire investigator is looking into the cause of an overnight fire that “pretty much almost completely” destroyed a Centralia house.
Firefighters called about 1:30 a.m. to the 1900 block of Van Wormer Street found the home well-involved in flames; it was vacant, according to Riverside Fire Authority.
The Chehalis Fire Department and West Thurston Regional Fire Authority assisted, according to Fire Capt. Erik Olson.
The single-story home was probably built in the 1930s and had a tin roof that trapped a lot of the heat, Olson said.
Riverside Chief Jim Walkowski reports the fire extended into the grass and trees. The structure had been vacant approximately 15 years, according to Walkowski.
Crews had to extend hose across train tracks because the nearest hydrant was 1,200 feet away, which shut down rail traffic during the fire fight, according to the chief.
Olson said there have been trespassers noted over previous months.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Centralia is looking more like Detroit every day
“Crews had to extend hose across train tracks because the nearest hydrant was 1,200 feet away”
That’s just plain wrong. How far was the nearest school? 3,000 feet away?
Boy, some real geniuses must be running the town of Centralia. How far is the nearest disco hall or church? 5,000 feet away?
Where do they live, Centralia or Iraq?