Firefighters stand by on their ladder truck as the former Evergreen Centralia Health and Rehabilitation Center is intentionally destroyed by fire during a practice day
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CENTRALIA – Almost 30 firefighters spent Saturday practicing at a former nursing home in Centralia, eventually allowing flames and an excavator to reduce the building to rubble.
Riverside Fire Authority conducted live fire training exercises on the 1000 block of Long Road, at the former home of Evergreen Centralia Health and Rehabilitation Center.
The building was vacated during the December 2007 flood and then donated to the city.
Fire Capt. Erik Olson said they have been able to train inside the structure during the past two years.
One of the things they practiced yesterday was “hose evolutions”, hooking up various sizes and great lengths of fire hose to extinguish burning pallets and hay inside the rambling commercial structure.
Members of Riverside Fire Authority watch one end of the former nursing home burn while an excavator tears apart the other end.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter