Busy day for HBF with multiple incidents including fire at transient encampment and water rescue near Samoa Bridge

On 7/04/2024 from the hours of approximately 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Humboldt Bay Fire has responded to multiple incidents, including a vegetation fire fire that spread from a transient encampment, and a water rescue near the Samoa bridge. 

At just after 12:00 pm an engine, ladder truck, and Battalion Chief from HBF responded to a vegetation fire in the marsh area near 6th and V St. Multiple callers reported hearing explosions with flames seen in the greenbelt marsh areas. Units arrived to find an unoccupied transient encampment on fire that had spread into surrounding vegetation amounting to approximately a quarter acre. Humboldt Bay Fire spent approximately an hour extinguishing the fire. No civilians nor any firefighters were injured. As the vegetation fire incident was wrapping up at 12:55 pm Humboldt Bay Fire was called to a water rescue for a sailboat overturned and in distress with multiple people in the water under the Samoa Bridge. Several units with specialized water rescue personnel along with our water rescue boat responded to the scene. A Humboldt Bay Fire rescue swimmer entered the water to assist the two distressed boaters, and then assisted them into our rescue boat. Humboldt Bay Fire personnel then assisted their distressed vessel back to the Woodley Island Marina. Thankfully no one was injured during the incident. Humboldt Bay Fire continues to provide a diversified skill set to mitigate various types of emergencies of our community. As we assist our citizens we thank you for your continued support of the fire department.