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North Coast Conversations: Arcata Mayor Kimberly White on the Downtown Arcata fire and community resiliency

Firefighters battle the blaze in Downtown Arcata Friday
Screenshot from video by Kimberly white
Firefighters battle the blaze in Downtown Arcata Friday

2026 got off to a shocking start for Arcata, where on Friday, January 2nd, late in the afternoon, a devastating structure fire broke out downtown, causing evacuations and panic, and ending in the destruction of multiple apartments and many beloved local businesses. But since the disaster, neighboring business and community members have rallied to support those impacted, with some folks quickly organizing emergency housing, supplies, and raising funds for the individuals and businesses.

This week we met with Arcata Mayor Kimberly White to discuss the emergency response, how the city and county are working to address the disaster, and the outpouring of generosity she’s seen from the community.

If you would like to help, you can follow this link to a master list of all fundraisers: https://linktr.ee/arcatafire2026

You can also attend the community fundraising event planned for Jan 30 and 31st at Humbrews, with more details to come.

Thank you for listening.

Raised in Arcata, Stephanie McGeary has lived in Humboldt County for most of her life and is proud to share stories about this weird and beautiful place that she calls home.
Alejandro Zepeda has worked for KHSU since early 2020, curating the news page, and working to add more locally-focused community content in the form of shows and PSA's to KHSU's lineup.