The pile of rubble sitting on the corner of 10th and H streets in Arcata probably won’t be going anywhere tomorrow.

The Jan. 2 fire that destroyed seven local businesses and displaced about as many people reduced half a city block to a steaming pile of brick and timber. None of it has been cleaned up yet. Arcata’s city manager, Merritt Perry, told the Outpost during a phone call today that the property owner, their insurers, and the city are working together to clean the site up as quickly as possible. Though cleanup is the owner’s responsibility, he said Arcata would do “whatever we can” to support them, such as accelerating permit approvals and following up with outside entities. 

Perry said the city will meet soon with the owner and their insurance agents to figure out a cleanup plan and timeline. The owner will need to assess the kinds of debris on-site and may need a certified hazardous materials contractor to haul it away.

The fire also likely damaged the environment; to what extent is unknown. Ash and the chemicals released by burning buildings is toxic enough on its own, but the fire also burned the paint section of Hensel’s Ace Hardware, and some of it was probably washed down storm drains and into Humboldt Bay when the firefighting crews were trying to put the fire out. The runoff could negatively impact the bay and other aquatic wildlife habitats. 

Arcata Director of Community Services Emily Sinkhorn told the Outpost that they were monitoring water quality at drains around the burned lot and had also installed devices that stop water from entering. Staff are also keeping an eye on creeks downstream for fire debris. 

A city spokesperson said that they were partnering with outside agencies like California’s water quality and toxic substances boards, California’s Environmental Protection Agency and the North Coast Unified Air Management Quality District.

Because neither Arcata nor Humboldt County has the resources to accurately measure and mitigate the effects, the sheriff’s office declared a local state of emergency yesterday, allowing them to request funding from the state of California. How much they’ll need is unknown.

The spokesperson said there would be a special city council meeting at 8 a.m. this Friday on Zoom with more details about the fire and cleanup. The agenda isn’t public yet. 

“The thing I would like to emphasize is that we’re not just ignoring it,” Perry said. “We’re taking a very active approach, and that’s why we did the emergency declaration — to bring the resources in that we need to assess and mitigate any contamination.”