By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The oldest building in downtown Centralia was evacuated overnight when a fire broke out in the basement, apparently caused by a transient who had made a home down there without the owner’s knowledge.
Firefighters from Centralia and Chehalis were called just before 1 a.m. to the two-story building on the southwest corner of Tower Avenue and Main Street. The main floor houses Centralia Perk Cafe and it has apartments on the second floor, according to Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Casey McCarthy.
Smoke had made its way up to the upper floor and about 16 people were evacuated, McCarthy said. Crews quickly located the source in the basement, he said.
An unknown person had “tapped” into the power there and it appeared a lamp had fallen onto a pile of clothes and ignited, Riverside Fire Capt. Scott Weinert said this morning.
It left a small charred spot on the floor, but there was a “decent amount” of light smoke damage on the upper floors, according to McCarthy.
The masonry building, constructed in 1888, once held National Bank.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter