Cowlitz River Antiques, far left, and the Used Book Store, center, sustained massive damage in this morning's fire in Toledo. Timberland Bank, right, was saved.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
This was updated at 9:15 a.m.
A three-alarm fire is burning in downtown Toledo in two buildings south of Timberland Bank.
Firefighters are battling the blaze defensively at this point, Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief Grant Wiltbank said about 8:15 a.m.
It started sometime after 4 o’clock this morning, the chief said.
“It’s on the block where the bank is at and it appears to have started in the second or third floors of the adjacent properties to the south,” he said. “I’m not there.
Wiltbank spoke by telephone on his way from his job at the fire department in Gig Harbor.
Fire keeps breaking out on the upper floors, and there’s so much smoke they can’t see for a half block, he said.
Multiple agencies responded including a ladder truck from Centralia’s Riverside Fire Authority and from Castle Rock, he said.
Wiltbank said the bank appears to be safe and as he understand it, there is some smoke damage in a beauty shop, a chiropractor’s office and a lawyer’s office.
It’s near the intersection of Kellogg Way and Second Street.
“It’s a big fire, the biggest we’ve had in Toledo probably since I’ve been there,” Wiltbank said.
Crews can’t go into the buildings because of the imminent risk of roof collapse, he said.
State Route 505 is blocked off, according to Diane Wallace, secretary to Fire District 2.
“I’m watching from my office and there is a lot of very thick black smoke,” Wallace said just before 9 a.m. “The town is pretty much covered in smoke.”
Wallace has been with the district almost 30 years and said she couldn’t recall a fire of this size downtown ever. The building holds a book store and an antique store, she said.
Paramedic Kirk Johnston spent a couple of hours earlier at the Toledo fire station providing “rehab” for fire crews.
No injuries have been reported.
“Flames were coming out of the roof of the building,” Johnston said. “I could see flames as I was coming down the hill into Toledo.”
More to come
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Note: If anyone got photographs this morning, they’d like to share, please email them to sharyn.decker@lewiscountysirens.com
Foam from the fire hoses lays on the street today in front of the antique store, which houses the Logging Museum upstairs. / Courtesy photo by Carrie Kann of Toledo
The back side of the antique store building - which used to be the Masonic Building - is where most of the fire damage shows. On the left, across the narrow alley is Toledo Hardware. / Courtesy photo by Carrie Kann of Toledo
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Why does the Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief work at the fire department in Gig Harbor?Grant Wiltbank is the volunteer chief in Toledo and also works in Gig Harbor. Assistant Chief Mike Dorothy was incident commander this morning in Toledo
Why does the Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief work at the fire department in Gig Harbor?
a LOT of volunteer departments the fine guys and gals that give so munch of there time also work for a day job on a paid department. and some of the EMTS work for AMR or others.
Ahhh… VOLUNTEER….. Now I get it… Thank you. His “day job” is in Gig Harbor…. Thank you, Sharyn
Good question – Grant Wiltbank is the volunteer chief in Toledo and also works in Gig Harbor. Assistant Chief Mike Dorothy was incident commander this morning in Toledo.
Why does the Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief work at the fire department in Gig Harbor?