Lewis County Sirens.com

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Updated at 6:12 p.m.

WRECK: BURNING TRUCK IGNITES TREES NEAR PACKWOOD

• A 67-year-old driver who thinks he fell asleep escaped serious injury when he ran off the road and collided with a tree and his truck caught on fire yesterday afternoon near Packwood. A deputy was called about 2:15 p.m. regarding the wreck about three miles up Skate Creek Road South, according to authorities. Lewis County Fire District 10 Chief Lonnie Goble said passersby brought the man into the fire station and told them about the fire. Firefighters found the 2000 Dodge Ram on its side against a tree and flames burning an approximately 50-foot circle around the vehicle. Goble said one tree landed on the back of the truck and six or seven trees partially burned before they got it extinguished. The man, from Graham, was seen by medics at the Packwood fire station for scrapes and told to go see a doctor, according to the fire department and the sheriff’s office. The deputy issued a citation for wheels off the roadway, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

FIRE BREAKS OUT ATOP TALLEST DRAPER VALLEY TOWER

• Chehalis firefighters climbed to the top of a 138-foot tall tower at the Draper Valley Farms’ plant off West Main Street at State Avenue yesterday for a fire. Crews called about 11:20 a.m. arrived to find workers had already got at it with fire extinguishers and knocked down the flames, but it was still smoldering, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. Grain mash had gotten plugged up at the top and the friction with the conveyor belt ignited the materials, Fire Capt. Kevin Curfman said. Curfman and another firefighter carried and then hoisted five-gallon water cans up to finish putting it out. It’s a concern, because any dust can be an explosive hazard, Curfman said. “In fact, years ago they had an explosion there and a gentleman was killed,” he said. The fire department cleared the scene at about 1:30 p.m. The damage was minimal, according to Curfman.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 6:40 p.m. yesterday for a burglary to a home at the 600 block of West Cherry Street. A neighbor had seen two males enter and take items out of the residence, according to the Centralia Police Department. Among the missing valuables were electronics and clothing, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police called about 12:15 a.m. today to a report someone had pulled out and cut wires to a TV cable box at the 1100 block of South Tower Avenue ended up arresting 31-year-old Adam P. Chapman for third-degree malicious mischief. Chapman had a previous relationship with the resident and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for the alleged domestic incident, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police were called about 10 a.m. yesterday morning for a report of of a window broken out of an SUV overnight at the 2800 block of Van Dyke Street in Centralia.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for drugs, warrants, shoplifting, protection order violation, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, vandalism, third-degree theft, suspicious circumstances, telephone harassment, dog alone in hot car, collision on city street, woman who thought her purse might have been stolen from her cart while shopping; request for help removing handcuffs from a child who had been playing with them … and more, among 179 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

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TEENS CAR PROWLING

• A Centralia mother turned in her teenage son last night, suspecting he was involved in vehicle prowls in the Cooks Hill Road area. A deputy called just before 9 p.m. yesterday spoke to the mom and then interviewed the 16-year-old, who reportedly confessed that during April and May, he and a friend stole property from three separate vehicles, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy was told they prowled unlocked cars with valuables in plain view, according to the sheriff’s office. Among the loot were backpacks, credit cards and at least one laptop computer, Chief Deputy Bruce Kimsey said. Some of the missing items were recovered from a 15-year-old boy’s bedroom, Kimsey said. The two teens were arrested and booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center for vehicle prowl, second-degree theft and second-degree possession of stolen property, Kimsey reports.

CHEHALIS FIGHT UNDER INVESTIGATION

• Chehalis police were called about 7:40 p.m. yesterday for a dispute at the 300 block of Southwest Third Street that may have involved a knocked-out tooth on a child. The incident is under investigation, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VEHICLE THEFT

• Chehalis police were notified about 6 p.m. yesterday that the black with gray 1970 Chevrolet pickup truck stolen the day before from  the park and ride at the 800 block of West Main Street had turned up in Pierce County. A deputy there found it unoccupied, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VANDALISM

• An 18-year-old Chehalis resident was arrested last night after allegedly punching out the window of a building at the 200 block of Railroad Avenue in Centralia. Officers called about 9:45 p.m. issued a citation for third-degree malicious mischief to Griffyn B. Dollarhyde and then released him pending a court date, according to the Centralia Police Department.

SNACK, BEERS AND HOME REPAIR LEADS TO FELONY CHARGE

• A 54-year-old man who allegedly stopped at his former girlfriend’s Winlock home, repaired her table and left a note asking if she wanted to buy some firewood was arrested for violating a no-contact order but charged yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court with burglary. A deputy back on April 4 reportedly went to the woman’s home on the 300 block of Hawkins Road looking for Rodney D. DeWolf because he had an outstanding warrant and found DeWolf hiding inside. Later when the deputy interviewed the woman, she said she had returned home to find it looked like DeWolf had been there, as he’d fixed some food to eat, drank several beers, left a note and also her table had been fixed, according to charging documents. DeWolf was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on April 28, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The charge of residential burglary is class B felony with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for drugs, warrants, shoplifting, trespassing, protection order violation, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, oven fire, hit and run, third-degree theft, disorderly conduct, unfounded report, suspicious circumstances, deer walking down middle of road … and more, among 161 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 4:30 a.m. today.