City of Arcata declares local emergency after yesterday's fire; Arcata Police and Arcata Fire District investigating cause of fire

 

The City of Arcata just issued an update about yesterday's fire. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal 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.

Arcata Fire District press release was added to yesterday's post.

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/01/downtown-fire-contained-avoid-emergency.html?m=1

Press Release:

On January 2, 2026, at approximately 2:30 p.m., a commercial structure fire occurred in the 800 block of Tenth Street in Downtown Arcata. Fueled by strong winds, the fire spread rapidly. Arcata Fire District, with assistance from numerous fire suppression resources from across Humboldt County and the region, was able to contain the incident. No loss of life or injuries were reported.

The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation by Arcata Fire District in coordination with the Arcata Police Department.

All businesses and residences located on the  south side of the 800 block of Tenth Street were, based on initial assessments, determined to be a total loss."

 Several adjacent buildings sustained smoke and heat damage. At least one affected business stored significant quantities of painting and industrial materials, resulting in actual and potential environmental contamination, which was further complicated by ongoing storm activity and stormwater runoff into the surrounding area.

Due to the environmental, physical, and economic impacts of this incident, the City Manager has proclaimed the existence of a local state of emergency. The City is actively working with county, state, federal, and community partners to assess impacts, mitigate environmental contamination, and support recovery and rehabilitation efforts.

The City of Arcata has completed all required notifications to numerous local, regional, state, and federal environmental protection and regulatory agencies, including water quality, hazardous materials, wildlife protection, and emergency management partners, and will continue coordination as assessment and mitigation efforts progress.

Multiple individuals were displaced as a result of the fire and were connected with American Red Cross assistance. Residents and business owners in need of support may contact the Red Cross at (707) 832-5480.

Anyone with information related to the fire is encouraged to contact Arcata Fire District at (707) 825-2000 or the Arcata Police Department Investigations Unit at (707) 822-2424.

The City of Arcata extends its sincere appreciation to the following agencies, organizations, and community partners for their assistance with fire suppression, emergency response, incident support, and ongoing mitigation efforts:

·        American Red Cross

·        Arcata Fire District; CAL FIRE; Blue Lake Fire; Ferndale Fire; Fieldbrook Fire; Fortuna Fire; Humboldt Bay Fire; Kneeland Fire; Loleta Fire; Rio Dell Fire; Samoa Fire; Westhaven Fire

·        Arcata-Mad River Ambulance

·        B&B Portable Toilets

·        Cal Poly Humboldt Police Department

·        California Department of Fish and Wildlife

·        Figas Construction

·        G.R. Sundberg, Inc.

·        Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District

·        Humboldt County Environmental Health

·        Humboldt County Sheriff's Office

·        Highway Specialties

·        Hooven Co., Inc.

·        Hotel Arcata

·        PG&E

·        Wildberries Marketplace

The City is grateful for the coordinated efforts of these partners and the broader community during this incident. Additional updates will be provided as information becomes available.

Humboldt County OES and County of Humboldt press release:

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.