Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 14 from Randle responded to a residential structure fire Wednesday near 10100 U.S. Highway 12 in Randle.
Upon arrival, an abandoned structure at 107 Second Ave. was fully involved, with live wires hindering initial access. While crews were able to contain and extinguish the fire, the building was ultimately lost, according to the department in a Facebook post.
However, crews successfully protected an evacuated nearby residence from fire damage. Local homeowners also pitched in near Beryl Road, watering lawns and rooftops and extinguishing small spot fires caused by windblown embers.
Volunteers from Packwood and Glenoma fire departments responded, along with help from teams from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Service, Lewis County Public Utility District and Hampton Lumber Randle Mill.
The incident required around 25,000 gallons of water and several hours of work, including extended mop up by the DNR Thursday.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation, according to Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 14.
During this incident, the fire department also managed two simultaneous medical emergencies, providing transport for one and receiving mutual aid from Packwood Fire for the other.
