By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A fire that ravaged a summer cabin at Lake Mayfield Village leaving only two walls standing on Friday evening is under investigation.
Nobody was injured but crews from Salkum and Mossyrock who spent hours battling the blaze were hampered by sparks from an exploding power box they couldn’t aim their fire hoses at, according to Lewis County Fire District 8 Chief Duran McDaniel.
They had to wait almost an hour and a half for workers from Lewis County PUD to shut off the electricity, McDaniel said. They surrounded the house and kept most of the siding wet while they waited, he said.
“It’s not one you’re gonna win, we contained it the area,” McDaniel said.
The approximately 1,500 square-foot, cedar-sided, metal-roofed dwelling was nestled among fir trees, according to the chief.
It was just before 6:30 p.m. when a District 8 crew was returning from an aid call, crossing the bridge on Mayfield Lake and spotted a fully engulfed structure fire on the ridge, McDaniel said. They headed that way and were dispatched about a minute later to the 200 block of Lakeview Drive, he said.
“We probably were on the scene within four minutes,” he said.
McDaniel said the cabin had been remodeled about a year ago and was for sale. It’s owners live in Portland, he said.
“It’s under investigation with the fire marshal’s office as to the cause,” he said.