Lewis County Sirens.com

Firefighters contain fire to hopper at mill. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Spontaneous combustion of compacted sawdust material inside a large hopper is suspected in an overnight fire at a mill in north Centralia.

Firefighters called at 3:50 a.m. to the plant at the end of Central Boulevard pulled their hoses but were able to flood the hopper instead by diverting water from plant piping, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

The fire did not spread to the rest of the structure, but the damage, including to insulation outside the hopper, is estimated at $25,000, according to Capt. Scott Weinert.

Nobody was injured. Crews were on the scene a couple of hours, Weinert said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Centralia Police Chief Bob Berg announced the retirement earlier this week of Kayo the police dog, ending what the chief called a stellar nine year career.

Kayo

The 10-year-old German Shepherd from Slovakia came to Centralia as a youngster, underwent basic canine training and was placed into service with his partner Officer Brian Warren in early 2006.

Berg said the decision for retirement came because of Kayo’s age, and because the time has come for him to relax and enjoy the remaining years of his life.

The K-9 will be declared “surplus” and sold to now-Sgt. Warren for $1, according to Berg.

In his December community newsletter issued on Monday, Berg wrote that Kayo has amassed quite a record.

Among the police service dog’s many accomplishments, Berg lists approximately 250 “deployments”, 91 arrest assists, 131 drug finds and 50 evidence recoveries.

Berg notes Officer Ruben Ramirez’s dog Lobo is still on the job and another handler and police service dog are expected to be selected this coming summer.

Kayo worked his last shift on Saturday.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A fire investigator couldn’t determine the cause of a blaze that destroyed a Boistfort Valley home and most of its contents on Tuesday evening.

Investigator Derrick Paul said this morning he would let the insurance inspector to dig a little deeper to perhaps find out what started it.

Lewis County Fire District 13 Chief Kyle DePriest said the double-wide manufactured home is a total loss. Paul said the couple did have a fire safe and a couple of dressers with clothing were salvaged.

Approximately 20 firefighters with three districts fought the fire on the 1100 block of Boistfort Road; crews spent more than six hours at the scene, according to DePriest.

The residents are staying with family in the area, according to DePriest.
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For background, read “Couple displaced by fire in Boistfort Valley” from Wednesday December 31, 2014, here

Smoke rises from home on the 1100 block of Boistfort Road on Tuesday evening. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 13

Flames light up the night sky on the 1100 block of Boistfort Road. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 13

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The cause of a house fire in the Boistfort Valley yesterday evening is being investigated today.

Nobody was home and no one was injured.

Firefighters were called just before 6 p.m. to the 1100 block of Boistfort Road, a mile or so south of the BawFaw Grange, according to Lewis County Fire District 13.

“I was one of the first units on the scene, and by the time we arrived, the structure was fully involved,” Fire Chief Kyle DePriest said.

Flames were already rising through the roof, he said.

Crews fought the blaze from the outside only, joined by members of Fire Districts 6 and 11, DePriest said.

He described the residence as a double-wide mobile or modular home, with wood siding.

The couple who live there were out to dinner in Chehalis, and returned while firefighters were still there. They had no ideas what could have ignited it, he said.

The structure is still standing, with heavy fire damage in its center, he said.

Firefighters were on the scene until about 1 a.m. An investigator will be heading out there today, he said.