Fire caused damage to one wall of the kitchen of an apartment at 1104 East 13th in Centralia occupied by Jerry and Suzanna Tate.
The two were not home Friday afternoon when a neighbor called 911 after hearing the dog barking, the smoke alarm sounding, and then smelling smoke outside the door.
Centralia City Firemen had to forcibly enter the apartment and found the fire burning in a wastebasket against one of the kitchen walls. They then quickly extinguished the fire with a water extinguisher. A small area of one wall of the kitchen was scorched by the fire.
The smoke in the apartment was ejected with little permanent damage.
Firemen received the call at 2:52 Friday afternoon and were on the scene for about a half-hour.
