By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A barn fire outside Centralia yesterday that drew four fire departments was started by a child playing with a lighter, according to Riverside Fire Authority.
Firefighters called about 2:45 p.m. to the 300 block of Lincoln Creek Road found the pole building fully involved in flames, Chief Jim Walkowski said this morning.
“We had a couple of cars on fire, I think two travel trailers on fire, and residence about 50 feet away we had to protect,” Walkowski said.
No injuries were reported, except an adult female who lived at the property was taken to the hospital with respiratory and other symptoms likely from stress and anxiety, the chief said.
Walkowski estimated the wood and metal pole building was about 24 feet by 36 feet. It was left standing, but its contents were incinerated, he said.
A total of about 18 firefighters were on the scene from Riverside, the Rochester area and Lewis County Fire Districts 6 and 5, according to Walkowski.
The building was used for storage of items like wood, flammable liquids and tires, he said.
Walkowski said a boy, whose age he didn’t yet know but was probably younger than 10, had been playing with a lighter. He wasn’t hurt, he said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter