Press release from the Hoopa Valley Tribe:

The Hoopa Housing Authority building was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning.

Lieutenant Kevin Miller, with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, said, “The first call about the fire came in to dispatch a little after 6:00 am, and Hoopa Volunteer Volunteer Firefighter Andrea Masten said, “When I got here at 6:30 it was already halfway burned down. The whole side was completely engulfed and flames were Tribal Chairwoman Danielle Vigil-Masten said, “This is very disheartening news for our tribe and community. It’s a major set-back for projects we are working on, and may delay tribal members receiving homes.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, with Hoopa Valley Tribal Police and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department officers on site. Miller said, “We’re waiting for firefighters to finish the suppression and mop-up, and then we can start trying to determine the cause and origin of the fire.”