Arcata council ratifies emergency declaration after downtown fire; cleanup, sampling and business recovery planned

The Arcata City Council on Jan. 9 unanimously ratified a proclamation of local emergency after a large downtown blaze on Jan. 2 that damaged multiple connected buildings and prompted a county‑wide firefighting response, council members and city officials said.

Chief Emmons of the Arcata Fire District told the council that an engine crew first spotted smoke returning from another call and that a full commercial response followed, with mutual aid from agencies across the region. "We were flowing about 9,000 gallons a minute at the peak of the fire, and I believe it was right right around 2 and a half million gallons of water we put on the the fire itself," Emmons said, adding that heavy equipment and ladder trucks were necessary to prevent the fire from spreading to other blocks. He said investigators have not found evidence that a gas explosion caused the blaze, and that Pacific Gas and Electric later shut a gas line that was feeding the fire.

The council heard from police Chief Ortega, who described law enforcement duties during the incident — evacuations, traffic control, scene security…