Bail set at $75,000 for man accused of starting dumpster fire at Centralia apartment

May 1-A man accused of starting a dumpster fire at a Centralia apartment building last month is facing a felony arson charge.

The fire was reported outside Candlewood Apartments at 2:26 a.m. on April 5, according to documents filed Friday in Lewis County Superior Court.

The fire was likely burning for 10 minutes before Riverside Fire Authority firefighters arrived.

The reporting party told a responding Centralia Police Department officer that she had discovered the fire shortly after returning home from babysitting her grandkids, and that she had not seen anyone set the fire.

Security camera footage from surrounding businesses reportedly shows a hooded figure exit Candlewood Apartments, light the dumpster on fire, stand and watch the fire for about 30 seconds, then return inside.

The apartment manager reportedly recognized the suspect in the security footage as a Candlewood Apartment tenant, allegedly identified as Khalil Jafar Zahir, 40.

Investigators compared the security footage to Department of Licensing photos of Zahir and came to the same conclusion.

Zahir was arrested outside the Candlewood Apartments on April 30 and was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 10:14 p.m., according to jail records.

When questioned, Zahir declined to comment about the dumpster fire, according to court documents. He allegedly responded "yes" when asked if an officer "would find the clothes Zahir had been wearing in the security footage when he lit the dumpster fire," but "attempted to correct himself," according to court documents.

While executing a search warrant on Zahir's apartment, investigators found multiple black hoodies matching the one worn by the suspect in the security footage, a container of Zippo brand lighter fluid, and what appeared to be a survival pack with an open pack of matches.

Zahir was charged Monday, May 1, with one count of second-degree arson. The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Zahir has two domestic violence-related convictions from 2015, but has no arson-related charges on his record.

Despite his lack of criminal history, the prosecution asked for Zahir's bail to be set at $500,000 due to the danger the alleged crime posed.

"The nature of the alleged facts in this case, where a fire was allegedly intentionally set, near an apartment complex, at night, when most of the occupants were home sleeping, shows an extreme indifference to human life," the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office stated in the affidavit of probable cause.

Judge J. Andrew Toynbee set Zahir's bail at $75,000 due to his financial indigency.

The decision to set a relatively high bail is not based on Zahir's criminal history but is "based on the very dangerous allegations here," Toynbee said during Zahir's preliminary hearing on Friday.

Arraignment is scheduled for May 7.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 11:18 AM.