Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 1:28 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The forest fire west of Centralia is 10 percent contained this morning, but covers an area of 40 acres that began about three miles past the end of Teague Road yesterday.

Riverside Fire Authority’s public information officer reports this morning 100 people from Lewis, Pacific and Cowlitz counties are on the scene.

There is no threat to any structures currently, according to Capt. Scott Weinert.

Crews from the Centralia area fire department were called about 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon when a slash pile was discovered burning in a clear cut area off a logging road.

The speed at which the flames spread and in that type of landscape is something not often seen by Centralia firefighters, according to Chief Mike Kytta.

“It’s uncharacteristic for our area,” he said. “In my experience over the last 30 years, this is the third one.”

Personnel from the the state Department of Natural Resources were called in at the beginning, and arrived within about about a half hour, Kytta said.

The fire department described the terrain as rough, with 40-year-old timber on property owned by the state Department of Natural Resources. The area is a mix, with land owned also by three private timber companies in the vicinity, Kytta said.

The initial response included Kytta, Assistant Chief Mack, 12 firefighters and seven pieces of equipment.

“(Chief Mack) was seeing fire devils come through, where wind gets everything spinning like a tornado,” Kytta said. “Flames would shoot 60 feet up a tree in a matter of moments.”

The fire is some distance away from any homes, he said, indicating perhaps a half mile would have been the closest.

Kytta said the fire last night spread in a 360-degree pattern out from the point of origin, with flames pushing to the west.

The scene was turned over to DNR last night and Riverside crews assisted until dark.

Three loads of retardant were dropped from the air last night and helicopters will be used today, according to Weinert.

The National Weather Service this morning issued a red flag warning for dangerous fire weather, for nearly all of Western Washington. Thunder and lightening are predicted for tonight. Temperatures today in Centralia are forecast to be in the mid 90s.

The fire prompted a type three state mobilization.

DNR brought in additional resources this morning and set up a base of operations at Centralia High School. They are expecting to be on the fire through Saturday, according to Weinert.

Members of Riverside Fire Authority today are on standby, and ready to protect any structures or be available for any emergency medical services, according to Kytta.

The concerns today are two-fold, the chief said.

The “fuel package” is very dry, because of the stretch of hot weather and the area could get lightening tonight and the conditions that would bring, he said.

“You’ll have the wind pick up and that can cause spotting and spreading of the fire,” he said.

DNR today banned all outdoor burning on DNR protected lands, including campfires and offered a message to those who ignore them: Those who start or spread fires are subject to civil and criminal penalties.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A wild fire that started about two miles southeast of Tenino yesterday afternoon was contained last night but personnel from the  state Department of Natural Resources are at the fire station this morning and likely will be utilizing one of the school buildings as a base to support further work on that parcel and also on another fire that flared up yesterday evening.

Thurston County Fire District 12 was called about 3:11 p.m. to unimproved property at the 17200 block of Crane Street Southeast, on Bluemauer Hill for a brush fire reported to be about five feet by five feet, according to District 12 Battalion Chief Jim Fowler .

“Within just a few minutes, it was a 10-acre fire,” Fowler said this morning.

Members of nine other fire departments joined them, to work on extinguishing grass, brush, trees and other vegetation, he said.

By about 7:30 p.m., an eight-foot wide path was bulldozed around it, he said.

A shack and two vehicles on the 40-acre parcel burned, according to Fowler.

Crews arrived from as far away as Napavine to protect homes as close as 300 feet away, he said.

Fowler said the property previously belonged to a timber company, and he believes it now belongs to a man who uses it for outdoor parties, one of which began Friday night and went into Saturday night, he said.

The scene was turned over to DNR about 8 p.m.

Fowler said it grew to about 13 acres. A spokesperson from DNR last night described at around 20 acres.

Members of Tenino’s District 12 are assisting DNR with mopup there this morning, he said.

“Then of course there’s the threat of lightning over the next couple of days, so I think they’re going to stay,” Fowler said of DNR.

DNR is working a second fire that began last night about a mile to the east of the Crane Street fire, off Johnson Creek Road Southeast, at a gravel pit on timberland owner by Weyerhaeuser, according to Fowler.

A 10-person DNR hand crew is out there this morning “limbing” trees, he said. Fowler this morning said he understood that fire covered about six acres. It’s an area where there are no homes and can’t be accessed by trucks, he said.

Fowler has a DNR level three incident management team with him this morning at the fire station, and noted he understood the wildfire in Shelton that also began yesterday afternoon is pretty much out.

Smoke from Teague Road fire viewed from Albany Street in Rochester. / Courtesy photo by Deb Meyers

Updated at 7:44 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Three large wildfires ignited this afternoon in Southwest Washington, all about the same time including west of Centralia and near Tenino, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

A fire off Teague Road in north Lewis County was reported to Riverside Fire Department about 3:10 p.m.

A spokesperson for DNR said it is burning in 40-year-old timber and threatening structures. Janet Pearce said she didn’t know if that meant homes or outbuildings.

The state agency has air resources on that fire, Pearce said.

Near Crane Road in Tenino, a brush fire has covered about 20 acres and also is threatening structures, according to Pearce. One structure and two vehicles had been lost before 7:30 p.m., according to a tweet from DNR

A third fire in Shelton is threatening the Simpson Lumber Mill, Pearce said about 7 o’clock this evening.

Riverside Fire Authority which protects Centralia and its surrounding area tweeted the brush fire began about three miles past the end of Teague Road in a clear-cut area and as of 6 p.m. had grown to 25 acres.

Ryan Weaver of Napavine said he and a friend went to visit a buddy on Deep Creek Road in Adna and as they were leaving, smelled smoke.

They took the logging road that goes to Teague Road and about halfway there, found a slash pile burning, Weaver said. Roughly two acres around it were on fire and spreading fast, so they called 911, he said.

Weaver said a plane was circling overhead and they warned a man who was out shooting a gun there was fire.

Riverside Fire Authority Firefighter-paramedic Chris Layton said there was no way to know this early how or why a slash pile was burning during the burn ban.

RFA’s public information officer notes fire managers are asking the public to stay clear of the area, as traffic is creating problems in the area on logging roads.

DNR tweeted at about 7:18 p.m. that 10 acres in grass and brush were burning in the Johnson Creek are of south Thurston County.

More information to come.

Meanwhile, follow comments, photos and updates from readers on Lewis County Sirens Facebook page.

A burning slash pile is discovered off a logging road beyond Teague Road about 3 p.m. today. / Courtesy photo by Ryan Weaver

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The man arrested when deputies found a variety of items at a property in Doty linking him to the theft of about $6,000 in fuel from a Silver Creek gas station has disappeared, and it seems he’s not who he said he was.

John Lewis, aka Jason A. Lewis

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a nighttime incident captured on surveillance cameras at the Texaco when they searched property at the 100 block of Elk Creek Road in Doty late last month. They turned up a half dozen plug-in access keypads used to override gasoline pumps, plus a canopied pickup truck with darkened windows which held two large fuel tanks, a portable pump and a nozzle.

A man identified as Jason A. Lewis, 47, was found near a recreational vehicle parked inside a barn and tried to run, but was detained and subsequently charged with  first-degree theft, first-degree trafficking in stolen property and possession of methamphetamine, according to court documents.

His bail was set at $20,000 when he went before a judge, in part because prosecutors believed he had an extensive criminal history in California, under a different name.

Last week, detectives concluded he was actually John Lewis, that he was using his brother’s name, and that he had fraudulent identification for it.

Harold E. Lusk

On Wednesday, detective Dan Riordan said Lewis bailed out of jail, and they were looking for him for identity theft. Riordan believed Lewis and his girlfriend would be traveling in the motorhome he had previously parked in the Doty barn. It’s a 1994 Mountain Air, registered to his brother, according to the detective.

Lewis didn’t show up for his scheduled court hearing on Thursday, where he and his court-appointed attorney were expected to appear for his arraignment on the original charge.

The sheriff’s office says Lewis may accompanied by his girlfriend, Jodi Hamer.

They are asking for help in locating him.

Lewis is one of three people charged on Aug. 1 in connection with the July 28 theft of about 1,600 gallons of fuel, including regular unleaded gasoline, highway diesel and off-road diesel.

Also charged were 28-year-old Harold E. Lusk who resides on the Elk Creek property, and Raymond T. Hankins, 48, from Yelm.

Alyssa J. Hanson

This past Wednesday, authorities charged Lusk’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Alyssa J. Hanson with trafficking in stolen property and possession of methamphetamine.

Charging documents state Hanson spoke with detectives when the property was searched and she acknowledged she and Lusk split their time between living in a travel trailer there and the house, both places in which suspected meth was found. She allegedly said Lusk acquired fuel and that she and him distributed it to others from the Elk Creek Road property, according to court documents.

The case began to come together when deputies recognized two faces and a license plate on the surveillance video, put together with an earlier tip from an unnamed person who told law enforcement Lusk and his associates had been stealing large amounts of gasoline from local gas stations.

The unnamed individual also said Lusk and a man from California who was hiding in Lusk’s barn in a trailer were cooking methamphetamine for sale. No mention was made in Lewis’s charging documents of of meth-making materials located during the search.

However, according to court documents, numerous containers of gasoline, including a 55-gallon drum of it were discovered.

Lusk’s warrant includes four counts of unlawful possession of firearms, in connection with guns found that day.

Detectives thought Hanson and Lusk may still be in Lewis County, or may have been planning to leave the state.

Meanwhile, Hankins was picked up on his warrant in Thurston County, and bailed out, but appeared out-of-custody in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday. Judge James Lawler allowed Hankins to remain free on the $25,000 bail he posted.

His arraignment is set for this coming Thursday.

The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lusk, Hanson or Lewis to phone them at 360-748-9286 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-748-6422 if they wish to remain anonymous or earn a reward.

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For background, read “Sheriff’s Office: Large scale gasoline stealing operation uncovered” from Friday August 1, 2014, here

Raymond T. Hankins, 48, is represented by defense attorney Bob Schroeter when he appears before a judge on Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court  to hear the charges against him.
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Lewis County sheriff’s detectives share this photo of a 1994 Mountain Air – with a fox emblem – similar to the one John Lewis may be driving.