Boy Rescued From Roof By Police Officer, Neighbor During House Fire

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A 12-year-old boy was rescued from the roof of his house by a Centralia police officer and a neighbor during a house fire that started Wednesday morning, according to the Riverside Fire Authority.

The RFA is still investigating the cause of the fire, but according to a press release, the boy was alone in his duplex-style house when he was woken up by smoke and escaped from a second story window to the roof where he waited for the officer and neighbor to rescue him.

The officer and the neighbor used a step-ladder to get the boy off of the roof before firefighters had arrived, according to the release.

Riverside Fire Authority public information officer Scott Weinert wrote in an email the boy’s parents were at work at the time of the fire and his 16-year-old brother was at school.

The boy was transported from the scene to Providence Centralia Hospital in stable condition for evaluation for smoke inhalation.

When firefighters arrived at the residence at the 1300 block of Kulien Avenue, they encountered a large body of fire on the first floor of the home in the living room.

Firefighters were able to rescue the family’s dog, who is in good condition, but the family’s cat died in the fire, likely due to smoke inhalation, according to the release.



The fire was contained in the living room, however, there was heat and smoke damage to the entire interior of the home. Currently, Red Cross is assisting the family with accomodations. 

According to the release, it is unknown at this time if smoke detectors were present in the home.

Weinart also said the neighboring occupant is an adult couple with a few pets and their residence was not affected enough to make it uninhabitable.

“I don’t have specifics but I believe there was no damage of any kind,” Weinert wrote, regarding the neighboring residence. “This is primarily because of the outstanding job our crews did by quickly suppressing the fire.”

Riverside Fire Authority would like to remind everyone to check their home’s smoke detectors to ensure they are working properly. Additionally, they would like to remind everyone to have a family escape plan in the event of a fire and practice it often with all members of the household.