The building belonging to Volunteer Firefighter Nicholas Delin was pushed over after it was destroyed by fire early Thursday.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
TOLEDO – Police Chief John Brockmueller and Officer Sam Patrick planned to start digging today through the rubble that is left of the commercial structure that burned in downtown Toledo early Thursday morning.
What remained after the overnight fire had to be pushed down with heavy equipment on Thursday to make it safe to poke around in, Brockmueller said yesterday.
The cause is unknown, Brockmueller said.
“We’re gathering information, doing interviews and what-not, trying to figure it out,” the chief said.
The building belongs to Volunteer Firefighter Nicholas Delin, of Toledo, who recently shut down Toledo Hardware around the corner.
Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief Grant Wiltbank said it was used as storage for liquidation sales.
Brockmueller said Delin had a similar building that was lost in a fire in Winlock about three years ago.
Firefighters from Districts 2, 5, 7 and 5 were called out just before 1 a.m. on Thursday to the corner of Augustus Street and Ramsey Way – formerly Second Street in downtown.
Neighbors reported hearing explosions; crews battled the blaze defensively, meaning they worked simply to keep adjacent structures from catching fire.
One District 2 firefighter suffering from dehydration was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital for observation, according to Wiltbank.
It’s the third building on the west side of the block to be destroyed by fire in recent months. Only Timberland Bank remains on the corner at Kellogg Way – also state Route 505.
A three-alarm fire on Christmas morning swept through the former Masonic building that held Cowlitz River Antiques and the adjacent Used Book Store.
Toledo Police Officer Patrick is a trained fire investigator; Brockmueller will be assisting him to find what caused the fire.
Tavern owner Jack Leduc snapped this photo with his phone early Thursday morning.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Brian u are talking from your ass they lost over $100k due to being under insured, asshole.
Can u say, insurance fraud?