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News brief: Chimney may be to blame for Toledo house fire

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Crews work to put out a fire at a home on Lone Yew Road. / Courtesy photo by Clayton Skinner

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A couple who has lived in their Toledo area home some 50 years returned home today to find firefighters extinguishing a blaze that virtually destroyed their house.

Lewis County Fire District 2 was called just before noon to the residence on the 200 block of Lone Yew Road, about two miles southeast of town. A passing motorist called it in, according to Fire Chief Grant Wiltbank.

Wiltbank said the flames got into the attic and multiple “void spaces” making it difficult to put out. Responders came also from fire departments in Winlock, Napavine, Vader-Ryderwood and Lewis County Medic One.

Crews managed to save a lot of their personal belongings, including several large boxes with generations of family photos, according to Wiltbank.

The single-story wood frame house is still standing, but will probably have to be bull dozed, he said.

Nobody was injured.

The preliminary cause appears to be a chimney failure, according to the chief.