When Riverside Fire Authority firefighters responded to the blaze in the 300 block of North Gold Street about 2:30 a.m., they found two adjacent homes, a garage and three cars ablaze, fire authority Chief Jim Walkowski said.
The fire might have originated from the garage attached to the first home, he said, adding that firefighters learned through a Spanish-language interpreter that about 20 people lived in four sections of the two-story structure. He said six people who were inside were unharmed.
Renters Katie and Brian Rowling awoke to flames shooting through the back door of their adjacent home at Diamond and Maple streets. They escaped safely with Katie’s sister, but their home sustained heavy fire and smoke damage to the attic and ceiling.
Katie Rowling has a baby due in December. She smiled as she and her husband described the scene, noting they were happy everyone is safe.
“We lost everything we worked so hard for,” Brian Rowling said. “It’s gonna take some time, but I think we can fix it up – make it look good.”
The Riverside Fire Authority worked with Lewis County fire districts 5 and 6, the Chehalis Fire Department and Thurston County Fire District 1 to quell the flames.
One firefighter suffered apparent dehydration and another injured his eye when it was sprayed with a hose, Walkowski said.
Later Friday morning, the Rowlings rummaged through undamaged belongings to grab what they could before leaving for a family member’s home.
The American Red Cross responded to assist nine residents on the scene and will follow up with an additional 14 who are out of town, according to a news release. The Salvation Army next door also provided temporary shelter for those involved.
The fire was under investigation and a cause hadn’t been determined, Walkowski said.
