THIS IS A HUMBOLDT ALERT - EVACUATION ORDER. Due to a structure fire, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an immediate evacuation order for residents in the area of Blue Lake Boulevard and Hartman Avenue. Leave now away from the fire for your safety. Follow instructio

— HumCoSO (@HumCoSO) May 15, 2023

Blue Lake Structure Fire w/ Explosions: At the intersection of Blue Lake Blvd and Hartman St, multiple caller on 911 reporting a structure on fire; Dispatched and responding are Blue Lake Fire, Westhaven Fire, Fieldbrook Fire and Arcata Fire with Humboldt Bay Fire on order; First unit at scene will be “Hartman IC”; HCSO is on scene with numerous explosions from a fully involved structure, requesting reverse 911 calls to homes within a 1 mile radius to evacuate or shelter in place. Explosions can be heard in the background of the deputy’s radio transmissions. CHP is responding to assist

Dollison IC is reporting that the fire is controlled and a primary search is all clear

Eureka Structure Fire: At the corner of W. Dollison and California Street. EPD is on scene with a well involved multi-family apartment complex. HBF is responding and upgrading to a 2nd alarm based on the large column of black smoke showing. Eureka dispatch is reporting that they are receiving numerous 911 calls. HBF Battalion 8102 on scene with a 2 story wood frame apartment complex with heavy fire from the 2nd floor. The Dollison side will be the alpha side. This is an offensive fire with primary objective fire control and primary search. Tactic on Eureka Tac 2. 8102 is “Dollison IC”. Samoa, Arcata and Loleta Fire are being paged for a mutual aid response

What what WHAAAT?!? Scurry away in defeat, fountain doubters! Just in time for the weekend, Old Town is ERUPTING.

Looks like Barry gets results.

From the County of Humboldt:

Pacific Gas and Electric will be temporarily interrupting electric service on May 11, 2023, at 9:00PM until May 12, 2023, 6:00AM to replace a transformer.

The power outage affects Central Avenue at the Northwest corner of School Road in McKinleyville. Signals will be dark. Stop signs will be posted for a 4-way stop. Weather permitting.

Arcata Courtyard Circle barricaded subject incident update on conditions: The situation is still ongoing and seems fairly static for the time being. HCSO has resources on scene assisting APD.

The fleeing motorcycle crashed at Myrtle and Russell. Fire and medical are being requested code 3. Eastbound Myrtle is blocked. The suspect is conscious and complaining of shoulder and neck pain.

Eureka Vehicle Pursuit: EPD is pursing a motorcycle eastbound on Myrtle from West, speeds 90 MPH

Arcata Courtyard Circle incident update on conditions: The situation is ongoing. A representative from County Mental Health is responding

Eureka Lucas Street incident update on conditions: HCSO is on scene. HBF Engine 8114 also at scene. Deputies are reporting there are minor injuries and patient is refusing medical treatment.

Eureka Area Possible Stabbing: 2800 block of Lucas cross of Myrtle in the Myrtletown area for a report of a female with a possible stab wound. HCSO is responding code 3. Fire and medical are staging

Arcata Barricaded Suspect: APD is on scene in the 900 block of Courtyard Circle with a suspect barricaded in an apartment and threatening to kill himself if officers enter. Initial reports suggested this may have been an assault situation involving a knife. APD officers are now reporting that they have evacuated a female from a rear window of the residence and the suspect is now alone inside. It is unclear whether the apartment belongs to the suspect. Fire and medical are staging. County mental health is being contacted with a request for a negotiator. Cal Poly Humboldt University Police are also sending a unit to assist. HCSO has been contacted (unknown what resources are being requested from HCSO)

The Jardin Santuario (Sanctuary Garden) on the corner of 11th and F streets in Arcata run by Centro Del Pueblo was again the target of vandalism this week, with some asshat spray painting “USA TRUMP” over the garden’s sign.

Centro Del Pueblo posted a message about the vandalism on its Facebook Page on Tuesday,  saying “the family and friends of the Sanctuary Garden for immigrants stand against racist attacks in our communities.” 

Today is National Fentanyl Awareness Day — the day chosen to make a big push, on lots of fronts, to really reiterate that this drugs kills. It kills a lot of people. It kills quickly. You want to stay away.

A big coalition of organizations has put together the website linked above with lots and lots of resources. There’s a page on how you might encounter fentanyl (in ways you might not expect.) There’s a fentanyl FAQ. There are a Twitter and Instagram and Facebook accounts to follow, with lots of graphics you can share with your own followers, if you are so inclined.

We didn’t know, until a reader pointed it out to us a few minutes ago, that it was National Fentanyl Awareness Day, nor that all these great and helpful resources exist. Maybe you didn’t know either. Now you do. 

FAQs | National Fentanyl Awareness Day

Illegally made fentanyl and its dangers, while well-documented by health professionals and law enforcement, are largely unknown to the general population and even more so to its most vulnerable population: youth and young adults.

FENTANYLAWARENESSDAY

Let LoCO take you down, ‘cuz we’re going to… Old Town.

It’s nice out. Things are happening. It’s going to be fine.

From Caltrans:

Route 254 (Avenue of the Giants) north of Miranda is now open as our crews were able to complete repair work ahead of schedule. The closure allowed us to expedite our stabilization response to recent geological activity. Crews rebuilt the southbound lane and shoulder of the highway in addition to installing rock slope protection.

Caltrans District 1 wants to thank Mercer-Fraser Company for making the repairs to the scenic roadway.

As we mentioned last week, Old Town events are about to be a lot more pedestrian friendly.

Pavement-shredding work to install removable bollards on Second Street continued Wednesday. The new barriers will allow the City of Eureka to more easily close down sections of the street during Arts Alive, Friday Night Markets and other human gatherings. 

Manila Residential Structure Fire: Multiple reports of a house on fire in the area of Peninsula Dr. possibly on Ward St.; For Arcata Fire all call, Samoa Fire, Blue Lake Fire, Humboldt Bay Fire on order; Utilize North Bay for command, Arcata Tac for tactical; Kneeland Chief 8902 (who just happened to be in the area) is on scene with a wooden storage building fully involved with threat to the vegetation. 8902 is assuming “Ward IC”; Westhaven Fire, Fieldbrook Fire and one engine from Cal Fire Trinidad have been added to the response.

Water IC is reporting that they are unable to locate a victim and that the RP possibly saw “marine life”. HBF units are going to clear and the Coast Guard will remain in the area searching

For clarification, it sounds like HBF made contact with the RP at the foot of T St. who reported the victim in the water waving for help, but HBF has not located a victim yet. HCSO also has resources responding code 3, possibly to retrieve their boat to aid in the search

Per Water IC, the possible location of the victim is “North of Woodley Island, north of the bridge, towards the foot of T Street”. The Coast Guard boat is on scene

Per “Water IC”, the victim may be north of Woodley Island near the second span of the Samoa Bridge. HBF units are moving to Woodley Island. The Coast Guard boat has launched

Eureka Water Rescue: Waterfront Drive cross of T Street for a report of an individual in the bay north of that location calling for help. HBF is responding and the Coast Guard is being notified; Units are on scene with one subject in the water waving for help. Battalion 8102 is establishing “Waterfront IC”. Requesting Engine 8112 and Truck 8181 respond to the foot of T St

Per Engine 8112, “This is a confirmed coroner’s case”. EPD dispatch is advising CHP will be responsible for the coroner request. (Correction on prior, it is EPD and CHP at scene)

Humboldt Hill Major Injury Traffic Collision: Highway 101 in the area of Tooby Road for a vehicle that left the roadway at high speed and rolled multiple times in a field; HCSO and CHP are on scene with CPR in progress. HBF Engine 8112 also at scene and involved in a code

The missing chid has been located safely and returned

Weitchpec Missing Person: Multiple agencies are on scene with more resources responding and on order for a report of a missing child in the Weitchpec area. CHP Air Ops has been requested for a helicopter from Redding. HCSO has a full search and rescue response coming and Orleans Fire has been ordered as well. HCSO has established IC with an incident command post (ICP) set up in the New Village area. It sounds like tactics will be on CLEMARS (VHF). This incident has been expanding for over an hour now

The Caltrans Quickmap is currently reporting that Highway 299 is closed between Blue Lake and Willow Creek as a crash on that stretch is being investigated.

Check the map below: If there’s no big red STOP sign in the center of it, then Caltrans is reporting the road open again.