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GAS EXPLOSION AVERTED AT APARTMENT BUILDING
• A faint odor in a four story Chehalis apartment building yesterday afternoon drew the fire department and a technician who eventually discovered a third-floor apartment filling up with natural gas. Firefighters called just after 4:30 p.m. to the 200 block of Southeast Washington Avenue were told a tenant smelled it in a hallway and the crew detected a slight odor on the first floor, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. An employee of Puget Sound Energy responded with her meter, which led them to a unit where nobody was home, Fire Capt. Kevin Curfman said. They got the manager to let them in and discovered a stove burner turned on but not lit, Curfman said. It was not yet at an explosive level, but it was building up, he said. They shut off the range and aired out the apartment, he said. “It’s a good opportunity to remind people to be very careful with gas appliances,” Curfman said.
THEFT, THEFT, THEFT
• Chehalis police were called about 11:30 a.m. yesterday about a possible burglary to a fifth-wheel trailer on Southwest 13th Street.
• Centralia police were called just before noon yesterday about a backpack stolen from a vehicle parked at the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue. It was blue, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Chehalis police were called just after 4 p.m. yesterday about a vehicle prowl possibly on Southeast Adams Avenue but were not able to reach the reporting party with the phone number they were given.
VANDALISM
• Someone threw a rock through the back window of a car at the 300 block of N Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just before 8 o’clock yesterday morning.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, making a false statement, allowing unauthorized person to drive, driving with suspended license, driving under the influence; responses for dispute, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, concern an individual stumbling around might fall into traffic … and more.