Both broken Napavine ambulances are expected to be back in service next week 

Both of Lewis County Fire District 5’s out-of-service ambulances are expected to be back in service with new engines by the middle of next week, the Napavine-based fire district announced Wednesday.

The two ambulances, which make up two-thirds of the district’s ambulance force, have been out of service since mid-June due to engine failures.

Lewis County Fire District 15 in Winlock has been loaning District 5 one of its spare units, staffed by District 5 staff, while the two ambulances are out of condition.

One of District 5’s water tenders is also currently out of commission, as it “experienced a mechanical issue” while deployed to a fire in Moxee last weekend.

“For those new to the community, during the summer months your fire district frequently deploys personnel and apparatus to fires in the Pacific Northwest as a way of supplementing our budget,” District 5 Interim Fire Chief Gregg Petersen said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “This has been a standard activity Fire District 5 has done for many years. We are known regionally for our wildland firefighting capabilities with both manpower and equipment when both are available for deployment.”

The broken water tender is currently at a shop in Yakima, according to District 5.