Photos: Andrew Goff.

PREVIOUSLY:

UPDATE, 10:35 a.m.: Humboldt Bay Fire follows up with a press release: 

On October 12, at approximately 8:42 AM Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a commercial structure fire at Second and A Streets with two engines, one ladder truck, a squad, and two chief officers. The first arriving units found moderate smoke coming from the roof and rear doorway of an approximately 50’ x 40’vacant rail yard building at the location. Eureka police officers were on scene prior to fire personnel arrival and had escorted three persons out of the building. Though the building is boarded up and not currently in use, it appeared to be occupied by transients.

Crews attacked the fire, consisting of burning trash, furniture, and other debris, controlling it within 15 minutes. Crews ventilated the building to remove smoke. While fire attack was performed a separate crew conducted a thorough search to confirm no other persons were inside.

No firefighter injuries were reported. The fire cause is considered incendiary. During the course of fire investigation six separate fire sets were located within the building. Humboldt Bay Fire has responded to and extinguished five separate fires within this building during the past year.

Humboldt Bay Fire reminds our community to make sure to keep buildings secure. Be watchful for unauthorized entry into buildings or activity around them Community-member vigilance in this regard is very helpful to reduce the likelihood of fire and criminal activity within our communities’ vacant buildings.

# # #

UPDATE, 9:40 a.m.: Humboldt Bay Fire Battalion Chief Chris Jelinek tells the Outpost’s Andrew Goff that this is the fourth or fifth fire at this location that the department has responded to in recent history, though he’d have to check his records to be certain.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, Jelinek said, though it seems to have been “incendiary” in nature — a heating or cooking fire gone wrong. While no one was injured in today’s fire, the department has had to conduct rescue operations there in the past.

“There is a great potential for loss of life,” Jelinek said.

The building is owned by the North Coast Railroad Authority, whose 20th anniversary of not running any trains to Humboldt County is coming up next year.

# # #

For the second time in the last month, Humboldt Bay Fire was called out this morning to an abandoned structure on the edge of Eureka’s Old Town where homeless residents seem to frequently stay, despite being boarded up and fenced off.

White smoke was seen pouring from the building at 8:30 a.m., prompting the Humboldt Bay Fire response. Firefighters arrived and cut through the chainlink fence to get to the fire, which was then quickly controlled.

Arcata Fire sent engines to cover for Eureka while local firefighters attacked the blaze. An ambulance was requested, seemingly as a precautionary measure.

The Eureka Police Department was on scene as well. According to Old Town Beat Officer Cory Crnich, three people were detained. After one of them was being put into a squad car, handcuffed, he kicked at the interior and shouted, “I didn’t do anything, motherfucker!”

The city’s public works and code enforcement units will also be responding to the fire, according to scanner traffic.

We’ll update when we know more.

Photos: Andrew Goff.