By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A rural Centralia home burned overnight but the resident and his dog escaped without injury, according to Riverside Fire Authority.
Firefighters called about 3:30 a.m. to the 400 block of Jones Road at the far east end of their jurisdiction found the two-story house fully engulfed in flames, according to Assistant Chief Rick Mack.
The man who lives there was already outside and using a garden hose on it, Mack said.
Chief Mike Kytta reports the fire was too far along to enter the building and was fought only from the exterior.
They were joined by firefighters from Chehalis.
Crews were able to keep the fire from spreading to a storage building, a boat and a pickup truck, according to Kytta.
The house and an adjacent wood shed containing several cords of wood were described as total losses.
Mack said the cause is under investigation, but may be hard to pinpoint given the amount of destruction.
The occupant had been sleeping and was awakened by a smoke alarm, Mack said. When he got up, he saw fire in the area of his enclosed back porch, but couldn’t tell exactly what it was, he said.
The working smoke alarm was key in this situation, Mack said.
“It really is a critical life saving tool,” he said. “As evidenced by this incident here.”
The Red Cross is assisting the resident, according to the fire department.