Has it really been a year since Eureka experienced one of the window-rattling mystery explosions that have plagued the town for the last half a decade? Or have we become inured, in the way that a person who lives near a railroad line stops noticing the trains?

 

Whichever the case, a big ol’ boom woke a good part of the town in the middle of the night last night. 

Says one LoCO correspondent:

Last night around 3 am my husband, dog, and I were awoken by an extremely loud explosion noise. We in the Pine Hill area. I am familiar with the “mysterious booms” and have heard them many times (all still terrifying), but this one sounded different to me. I immediately called the Sheriff’s Office and the dispatcher said she heard it too on 5th Street, but had no idea what it was or where it came from. 

Says another:

Unfortunately, I didn’t roll over to see what time this was at, but it was heard in Eureka near Union St and the abandoned school on Central. I know back in 2015 something similar to this was being reported a lot. I wanted to see if a story had been posted but it might be a little early. Did anyone else report hearing this elsewhere as I would like more info thanks! 

Says a LoCO Facebook friend:

Extremely loud boom heard from Harris & Williams St., louder than any of the other random “booms” I’ve heard before. Any idea what it was?

Once again: Not really.

The Eureka Police Department’s Brittany Powell said that the calls started coming in at about 3:15 a.m. They seemed to be centered in the southwest quadrant of the city — Allard Avenue, Highland Park, the foot of Truesdale, Long Street near Henderson Center. Officers were dispatched around the area.

Someone reported seeing smoke, Powell said, but it seems that Humboldt Bay Fire confirmed that the smoke was coming from a chimney. Nothing else was located. Mystery.

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