People living at Lewis County’s largest homeless encampment — located at the end of Eckerson Road in Centralia, often just referred to as “Blakeslee Junction” — may be unhoused, but for many, their vehicle is their home.
On Thursday morning, people scrambled to remove pets, ashes of loved ones, bibles, blankets and other belongings from their vehicles as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Washington State Patrol and Lewis County Public Health & Social Services officials removed three vehicles and four RVs that hindered responders’ ability to get into the encampment to put out a fire last week.
According to Riverside Fire Authority Chief Kevin Anderson, firefighters used over 1,100 feet of hose to reach the blaze, which destroyed one two-story shelter and an RV, displacing three residents on March 28.
On Thursday, WSDOT had tow truck drivers present, and said the vehicles would likely be taken to a storage yard.
Public Health Director Meja Handlen called it “imperative” that the cars, trucks and trailers blocking the encampment’s entrance be removed on Thursday morning.
“If services can’t access people in an emergency, that is a huge issue,” Handlen said. “That is just not right.”
Public health officials and Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope were at the encampment on Thursday. Swope said his goal was to make sure the process was “humane” for the people being displaced. He also contacted staff from the Salvation Army of Lewis County to come in and help residents move.
Last fall, Swope spearheaded a policy banning encampments on county land, which made it possible to issue civil infractions to people camping on unauthorized county land. The ordinance hadn’t been enforced as of this week. In the same meeting, the commissioners passed guidelines for encampment “removal and cleanup.” Per that policy, items determined to be “hazardous” or meeting the definition of “obstruction” aren’t necessarily granted the same rights as other personal property.
In this case, WSDOT’s notices — both oral and in writing — warning of the vehicles’ imminent removal met Lewis County’s criteria applied for all personal property, despite them meeting the definition of an “obstruction.”
WSDOT said contact with residents began after the fire last week. Since then, the Salvation Army — and other service providers — tried to help residents get the trailers, trucks and RVs out of the roadway, but were largely unsuccessful. Many of the vehicles were immobilized due to equipment issues, lack of access to fuel and being blocked in.
For people who were able to obtain gas or other needed equipment on Thursday morning, state patrol and WSDOT employees were trying to help them start vehicles or guide drivers out of the roadway.
“WSDOT individuals locally have been incredibly respectful and kind and caring,” said Salvation Army Captain Gin Pack. “They don’t want to displace anybody, but they also need to make sure (the vehicles aren’t obstructing access).”
Between the start of 2023 and last week, Anderson said Riverside had been called to the area for smoke investigations four times. Also during that timeframe, the agency has been to the area for two fires and two medical calls.
Pack hopes to get more residents from the encampment to stay in the Salvation Army’s shelter, a night-by-night shelter at 303 N. Gold St., Centralia. But, she recognized many were reluctant to leave their belongings behind at the encampment, some of which isn’t permitted inside the shelter.
Pets, however, are allowed at the shelter, she said, which was good news for Mary the black lab, who was happily wagging her tail at all of the strangers at the encampment on Thursday.
Around the county’s annual point-in-time census, Pack said there were about 26 people living at Blakeslee Junction. Riverside Fire Authority Chief Mike Kytta recently told The Chronicle he estimates the camp housed anywhere between 30 and 90 people at a given time.
According to WSDOT Assistant Communications Manager Kelly Hanahan, the department’s eventual intent is to sell the land, which she called “surplus.” When a sale is made, the site will be vacated and cleaned before it is transferred to a new owner. The area surrounding WSDOT’s easement was annexed by the Centralia City Council in March.
There is no date set for the camp to be fully vacated, but residents will receive at least 72-hour notice when the time comes.
“We closely coordinate with the city of county and ensure there is outreach from the appropriate service providers,” Hanahan said, later adding, “When WSDOT vacates a full site, which is not the case at this location, every attempt is made to reach each occupant with a notice.”
