Both fire damaged houses on C Street. / Courtesy photo by Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20
Updated at 7:36 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Flames ravaged one house and threatened a neighboring residence overnight in Vader, sending one person to the hospital.
Firefighters called just before 1 a.m. to C Street near Eighth Street found a fully involved structure fire on the corner and the south exterior wall of the second home burning, along with some large fir trees, according to Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20.
“We were on the scene quickly, fighting two fires with only four people,” Fire Chief Richard Underdahl said this morning.
They poured water onto the vulnerable home first and once it and the vegetation were extinguished, turned their focus to the first house, he said.
The one and a half story dwelling at 721 C Street is still standing, but is a total loss, he said.
The crew was joined by members of Lewis County Fire Districts 15, 2 and 5 as well as five individuals from Cowlitz 6 in Castle Rock, he said.
A woman who was staying with the man who owns the house was treated for burns to her arms and legs and taken to Providence Centralia Hospital by paramedics from Lewis County Medic 1, according to responders. He was elsewhere, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ross McDowell said.
There was no power and candles were being used for light.
She woke up, a candle had gotten knocked over, she tried to knock down the flames but finally grabbed a bag with her glasses in it and ran outside, McDowell said.
Underdahl said he believed she might have suffered second-degree burns.
As for the single-story house at 717 C Street, some windows were blown out, the siding scorched and a fence burned, according to Underdahl. The two homes were about 15 feet apart, he said.
Personnel were on the scene until about 9 o’clock this morning, he said. An investigator was called to look into the cause of the fire.
House on C Street in Vader burns. / Courtesy photo by Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter