One person was treated for smoke inhalation and one person was arrested following a fire at the Peppertree West Motor Inn in Centralia on Thursday that displaced the motel’s occupants.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation as of Friday afternoon.
First responders were dispatched to the structure fire in the 1200 block of Alder Street just before 6:25 p.m. on April 6 after three people separately reported black, billowing smoke coming from the inn, according to Chehalis Fire Chief Tedd Hendershot.
Riverside Fire Authority was the lead fire agency at the scene, with assistance from Chehalis Fire, Lewis County Fire District 5, Lewis County Fire District 6 and crews from Thurston County.
At around 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, as crews worked to put out hot spots, Riverside Fire Authority Chief Mike Kytta said responders were presented with challenges due to the odd-shaped building.
He noted firefighters had created a pretty “good loop” around the fire as they worked from one side of the building to the other.
“It was extremely active smoke that laid down low,” Hendershot said Friday, adding that it was “hard to find the seed of the fire because of the smoke.”
Crews ultimately determined the fire originated in one of the rooms, which had one male occupant who reportedly “attempted to run onto Interstate 5” when fire crews arrived, according to police call logs.
Officers from the Centralia Police Department responded and located the man, identified as Todd H. Bergfalk, 52, of Onalaska. When officers contacted him, Bergfalk allegedly threw a lit cigarette at the officer, according to the call logs.
Bergfalk was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for the assault charge at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
His preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court for the third-degree assault charge was scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday.
During the hearing, Bergfalk was also charged with arson in the first-degree. His bail was set at $100,000.
Crews from various fire departments systematically worked their way through the building to clear rooms on Thursday, according to Riverside.
One occupant, a 61-year-old woman, reported difficulty breathing and was treated for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.
Crews cleared the scene just before 9:10 p.m. on Thursday.
The American Red Cross has been deployed to aid the inn’s displaced occupants, according to Chehalis Fire.
The number of displaced residents was not known as of Friday morning.
