Structure fire erupts in Arcata on Jan. 2
Additional reporting by Cody Wright
A structure fire erupted at 10th and H St. in Arcata around 2:30 p.m. The fire started at Hensel’s Hardware and spread to Global Village Gallery, Northtown Books and Dandar’s Boardgames and Books. Local firefighters have responded to the fire and neighboring departments such as Eureka, Fortuna and Humboldt Bay Fire were dispatched to assist Arcata Fire District.
According to Arcata City Manager Merritt Perry, approximately seven businesses and eight apartments were damaged in the fire. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
“There’s pretty much a total loss from what I can tell,” Perry said.
At around 5:45 p.m., the fire was mostly contained and firefighters worked with excavators to knock down parts of the buildings to reach all parts of the fire from within the buildings. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) turned off the gas in the area as a precautionary measure.
“This whole block is inoculated and the adjacent buildings, so I think they have it contained right now and there’s not additional risk of it spreading,” Perry said.
“They definitely sprayed down my building but it is still a little concerning, I have a lot of stuff in there,” said Cameron Clarke on the scene, a cosmetologist at One Stop Salon, located close to the fire.
A mandatory evacuation has been issued for surrounding businesses and residences by Arcata Police and Fire personnel. According to Arcata City Council member and former Arcata Mayor Alex Stillman, the City of Arcata is working with the Red Cross to pay for rooms at Hotel Arcata for people who have been displaced from the fire. If you have been displaced due to the fire contact Red Cross at (707) 496-8278.
