The Centralia Fire Department was called to the old Little Fuse Complex at Johnson and North Walnut late Wednesday morning and found a small smoldering fire burning in a storeroom of the former office area.
Firemen believe the fire had been started to burn the covering off copper wire. The fire had filled that portion of the building with smoke.
Firemen found evidence of a few earlier fires that appeared to have been set but later went out.
Those fires are believed to have been started to also burn off the insulation from wiring or by squatters who lit fires to try and stay warm.
Fire Chief Jeff Day planned to talk to city officials about making the building more secure as many broken windows were found along with doors that had been knocked out.
Centralia City Firemen at entrance to Little Fuse building Photo by Tim Ferguson.
