The Chehalis Police Department is investigating after the house at 265 SW First St. in Chehalis, which caught fire on Thursday, went up in flames again Friday morning.
Two adult miniature dachshunds and three puppies perished in the initial fire, which was reported at about 6:05 a.m. on Thursday, March 9. Firefighters successfully rescued and resuscitated two additional adult miniature dachshunds, which were transported to Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services for further medical treatment.
Newaukum Valley Veterinary Services declined The Chronicle’s request for information on the dogs’ condition Monday morning.
Crews with the Chehalis Fire Department, Riverside Fire Authority and Lewis County Fire District 6 quickly extinguished the fire on Thursday. As is common procedure following structure fires, crews boarded up the doors and windows on what was left of the structure before leaving the scene to discourage break-ins.
Shortly after 6 a.m. on Friday, March 10, the three fire agencies were again dispatched to 265 SW First St. for a report of a fire.
Crews remained on scene for a couple hours extinguishing that fire, according to Chehalis Fire Captain Rob Gebhart.
The structure suffered significant damage but was still standing when crews cleared the scene Friday.
No injuries were reported.
The Chehalis Police Department opened an arson investigation just before 8:30 a.m. on March 10.
That case was still under investigation as of Monday morning.
The cause of the Thursday fire is also under investigation.
