Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office:
Humboldt County Sheriff William F. Honsal has proclaimed a Local Emergency due to the significant impact of the five-alarm structure fire involving multiple commercial buildings located between Tenth and H Streets in Arcata, CA.
The structure fire occurred on Friday, Jan. 2, resulting in a heroic multi-agency fire suppression operation. Thanks to coordinated efforts, the fire was contained, and no injuries were reported, however, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to private property, public property and infrastructure.
Water runoff used to fight the fire, including runoff mixed with ash, debris, and potentially hazardous materials from building contents, now poses a threat to public health and safety. Runoff may cause impacts to environmental resources, including storm drains, nearby waterways, neighboring properties and water quality, with possible downstream impacts to aquaculture operations, fisheries and sensitive aquatic habitats.
Assessing, containing and mitigating the potential environmental impacts will require more resources than the County of Humboldt and the City of Arcata currently have available. The situation is significant enough that it requires additional response and recovery assistance from the State of California and its agencies.
A local emergency proclamation is a prerequisite to request state or federal assistance for response and recovery efforts related to this event.
Individuals who experienced fire damage to their home or business are strongly encouraged to work with their insurance provider(s) to file a claim for repairs. This emergency proclamation does not guarantee individual or financial assistance for damages incurred during the fire.
The County of Humboldt’s thoughts are with the those who have been affected by this event. If you have been displaced as a result of this event, please call the American Red Cross at 707-496-8278 for assistance and resources.