According to the Centralia Police Department, a transient male was in a vacant home on Alder Street in Centralia trying to stay warm Sunday morning when a small fire he set in a bedroom where he was sleeping burned out of control.
Another male found him sleeping and woke him up to get him out of the building, according to officers at the scene.
Residents in the area reported the fire just before 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 6.
Both men who were in the residence were located and questioned by authorities.
“We determined it was reckless burning because it was not a safe area where he lit the fire in the house,” said Centralia Police Detective Sergeant Dave Clary. “It’s worth noting these type of instances start to happen more frequently when the weather gets cold, and it’s never a safe option.”
Centralia police believe the abandoned building is owned by the Port of Centralia and is set for demolition for the Centralia Station development.
The fire ultimately caused “significant damage to the structure,” according to the Centralia Police Department.
The man who allegedly started the fire has been identified as 44-year-old Nathan J.J. Hayes.
He was arrested and was booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 10:55 a.m. on Nov. 6, according to jail records.
Hayes was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court for reckless burning charges at 4 p.m. on Monday.
