The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Fire

  • Deadly Fire at Arcata Apartments

    Deadly Fire at Arcata Apartments

    Fire leaves one dead and one hospitalized

    A fire at an Arcata apartment complex on Sunday, Feb. 2, left one resident hospitalized and another dead.

    Eyewitness Jalen Zerkel-Loomis was woken up by the fire and recounted what he saw.

    “You could see, like, directly into the inside of the building,” Zerkel-Loomis said. “It was like in The Sims where you can just remove one of the walls and perfectly see everything going on inside. The second story didn’t so much collapse into the first—it was like the floor inside the frame fell out under it.”

    “It was a pretty crazy sight.”

    Jalen Zerkel-Loomis

    The Arcata Fire District responded to calls reporting a heavy structure fire and at least one resident that had jumped from a second-story window around 5:30 a.m. Four units of the Meadowbrook Apartment Complex and a nearby car were engulfed in the flames.

    Zerkel-Loomis also noted several nearby gas tanks, which did not catch fire. He also said he heard several loud bangs.

    “It was a pretty crazy sight,” Zerkel-Loomis said.

    AFD said police provided aid to the injured resident until paramedics arrived. Firefighters contained the fire and searched the apartments for trapped residents. After the fire was extinguished, the remains of one resident were found on the first floor. The identity of the victim has not been released.

    The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Arcata Police Chief Brian Ahearn has not yet named any suspicions.

  • Miscommunications and Misdirection

    Miscommunications and Misdirection

    Hold PG&E accountable for its reckless and unprofessional behavior

    During the most recent Public Safety Power Shutoffs, the Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s communication with its customers was awful.

    The first time the utility shutoff power in Humboldt County was on Oct. 9. The county had less than 12 hours of notice for residents to prepare for a possible four-day outage. Humboldt was the only county in California to lose all power and initially wasn’t even on the list of affected counties.

    After the outage, Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of electric operations, said that Humboldt County shouldn’t have lost power in the first place. Although extreme weather and fire risk were at play in other counties’ outages, Humboldt went dark because of scheduled maintenance on one of the transmission lines coming into the county.

    On Saturday, Oct. 26, reports from PG&E said only about 2,000 customers in Humboldt would be affected. Several hours later, PG&E corrected itself and acknowledged that all Humboldt residents would be hit with the outage.

    During the most recent PSPS, the utility released news that another outage would likely hit Humboldt early Tuesday morning. Additional updates said that while many residents would regain power, it was possible that residents still without it may continue to be in the dark through to Tuesday’s outage.

    When Tuesday morning came and went, locals wondered when the outage would hit. Those who regained power the day previous still had it, and conflicting reports from PG&E, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority and the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services led to mass uncertainty about when –and if– the power would go out again.

    For those PG&E customers who tuned in to one of the company’s many streamed press conferences, they were forced to wade through jargon including “operational event,” “incident commander,” and the terribly-named “Public Safety Power Shutoffs.”

    Late Monday night, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority posted on Facebook that PG&E said that power in Northern Humboldt wouldn’t go out until 9 p.m. That same night, OES made its own Facebook post stating that PG&E said power was still planned to go out early in the morning.

    On Tuesday morning, OES continued to stand by what it had learned from PG&E.

    PG&E’s own updates from Tuesday morning listed the outage time for Northern Humboldt as 9 p.m., and as the day went on, that seemed to be likely.

    Humboldt State University had no better idea of when the power would go out, as it noted in its update on Tuesday morning.

    “HSU is seeking clarity from PG&E regarding the timing of a possible power shutdown,” HSU’s update said. “There has been conflicting information from the company, and in local news reports, over the last 24 hours.”

    PG&E later updated its estimated timing to 7 p.m., and then, around 5 p.m., it called off any PSPS for Humboldt at all. On Facebook, OES said PG&E had given it inaccurate information.

    “PG&E has provided the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services (OES) inaccurate information regarding times of de-energization in our County,” OES said.

    Communication is everything. PG&E changing times of planned outages makes sense, especially since the outages are primarily based around weather patterns. But failing to provide accurate information to emergency services and county officials is ludicrous. The company’s communication strategies are unacceptable.

    As a community and state we need to hold PG&E accountable and remove ourselves from its firm corporate grip. These blackouts should be the push California needs to turn toward alternative energy and municipal utility boards, ridding the state of monopolized power once and for all.

  • How HSU Handled Its Second Blackout

    How HSU Handled Its Second Blackout

    For the second outage to affect Humboldt in less than a month, students and staff were better prepared for the darkness and the subsequent time off

    After Humboldt County’s first Public Safety Power Shutoff, students and staff at Humboldt State University were better prepared when the latest outage hit the county the night of Saturday, Oct. 26.

    Marine biology sophomore Tyler Nagle spent his Sunday at a beach in Trinidad with friends.

    “I went to the beach, got a campfire going, roasted some s’mores and looked at the stars,” Nagle said.

    While Nagle said he’s learned how to prepare for these outages, he did have concerns about the outages’ impact on classes.

    “I definitely think this has taken a hit on my learning,” Nagle said. “But I hope these will be more few and far in between.”

    Vice President for Administration and Finance and HSU Emergency Operations Center Director Douglas Dawes said it’s too early to make any calls about how the outages will affect the semester’s class schedule, but he said HSU will be in touch with its academic accreditor.

    Otherwise, Dawes said he’s proud of the way the campus has handled the outages.

    “There have been some hiccups, but we’re getting through it,” Dawes said.

    Dawes said one generator failed over the weekend, but Facilities Management quickly moved around generators to keep providing power to the most essential buildings on campus including the Jolly Giant Commons, Student Recreations Center and residence halls.

    “They’ve been champions,” Dawes said. “Our facilities team has been keeping everything together.”

    Daniel Valencia, a sophomore kinesiology major, normally works at The Depot. During the outage, Valencia helped out at The J. When not working, Valencia said he enjoyed his hobbies.

    “I picked up skating more,” Valencia said. “And I’ve been looking into hobbies like reading and painting.”

    Zane Eddy, a master’s student in the environmental science and management program, came from an undergraduate program at the University of Oregon. Eddy said he was surprised by the outages.

    “It’s really odd having these power outages,” Eddy said.

    Eddy spent his free time going to Clam Beach and picking chanterelle mushrooms. Eddy said he believes the outages will make people understand their dependence on others for power.

    “We’re part of a larger system and we’re part of a larger environment,” Eddy said.

    While preparing for the outages on Friday, Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether echoed Dawes and said he was proud of how HSU handled the first outage.

    “That was a positive thing that we responded to the power outage in that way,” Meriwether said. “Now, in my opinion, that’s how it should always be and that’s how it will be. But I think students were happy to know we took that approach.”

    Dawes said HSU served 4,400 meals on Sunday. While he admitted that HSU incurred some significant costs in diesel and food, he said a percentage of those costs can be covered by disaster funds.

    On Tuesday, HSU uploaded a response page for students wondering why classes are cancelled during the outage. The page noted concerns over safety, non-functioning technology and a focus on personal wellbeing. The page also explained why it takes time to reopen campus even once power is restored.

    “It takes a great deal of time to safely re-open the campus, including powering down and disconnecting generators, resetting locks, and ensuring fire suppression systems are working,” HSU’s post said.

    As of Tuesday afternoon, HSU classes are set to resume on Thursday, Oct. 31.

    In the future, Dawes said HSU will likely look toward generating more of its own power.

    “Having more generation for the campus would be a huge help,” Dawes said. “So we’ll be looking into doing that.”

    For now, Dawes wanted to thank staff, faculty and students for restoring his faith and hope in humanity.

    “We’ve got really good students that want to provide for others,” Dawes said. “And staff that really care about providing for students as well.”

  • Abandoned Victorian Burns in Eureka

    Abandoned Victorian Burns in Eureka

    Late night structure fire stays contained to one building with help from Humboldt Bay Fire

    On Wednesday night, Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a structure fire on the corner of 8th & H streets in Eureka.

    The structure in question appeared to be an abandoned Victorian house, with the damage contained to just the single building. Following calls, officials were on scene quickly, but were unsure how long the house had been burning before they arrived. 

    Humboldt Bay Firefighters shoot water over the back of a burning house as they respond to structure fire in Eureka on Oct. 30. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    Public Information Officer for HBF Amy Conlin was on scene and confirmed that there was no humans, animals or pets found in the building when they arrived and that the fire had been burning for some time before they got the call. 

    “By the time the first truck 8181 was to the scene, there was black smoke pushing through the roof,” Conlin said. “So it had been going for a little bit.”

    Conlin also noted that while the cause of the fire would likely remain unknown until HBF concluded their investigation into the matter, the blaze could have been the result of people staying in the vacant property in an attempt to stay out of the colder nights.

    The burned out roof of a house in Eureka can be seen as Humboldt Bay Fire responds to a structure fire on Oct. 30. The surrounding houses were not damaged by the fire. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    “It looks like it was a vacant building,” Conlin said. “So it could have been some kind of spontaneous accident with the building itself or it could have been that there were squatters inside.”

    The fire was largely under control at the time of Conlin’s comments with firefighters on the roof cutting holes in order to vent the heated gases out of the structure. Given the late hour, a more thorough investigation into a cause for the fire is expected to be carried out in the morning. However, due to the extent of the damage, any evidence may be inconclusive.

    • Humboldt Bay Fire responds to a structure fire in Eureka as they work on the roof of a house in order to better attack the remaining flames on Oct. 30. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt Bay Firefighters assess the situation on the roof as they respond to a structure fire in Eureka on Oct. 30. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • Humboldt Bay Firefighters are silhouetted against the smoke from a burning building as they get into position to open up a hole in the attic in order to better attack the flames trapped inside of a house in Eureka on Oct. 30. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • A firefigher from HBF tests the structural integrity of a covered porch while water comes over the top of a burning house in Eureka while fire crews respond to the flames on Oct. 30. | Photo by Thomas Lal
    • A firefighter from HBF takes a moment to recover behind a fire truck as firefighters finish putting out a structure fire in Eureka on Oct. 30.
  • PSPS Events Showcase Reliance on Fossil Fuels

    PSPS Events Showcase Reliance on Fossil Fuels

    With the recent Public Safety Power Shutoffs, blackouts may be a big push toward renewable energy

    Public Safety Power Shutoff, blackouts could aid the push toward renewable energy. Solar micro-grids, local offshore wind farms or more well maintained power lines could be the answer to back-to-back outages. 

    Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s PSPS events are triggered by environmental conditions that threaten parts of their power grid. For example, a third consecutive power shutoff was originally scheduled for Tuesday morning, but changing weather patterns pushed back the timing. On Tuesday at 5:22 p.m. the county was removed from the PSPS affected counties list.

    PG&E’s PSPS events are triggered by environmental conditions that threaten parts of their power grid.

    “Due to diminished weather conditions, Humboldt County is no longer in the scope for a Public Safety Power Shutoff tonight and power will remain on,” said Humboldt OES in an email alert. “There are still communities without power but PG&E advises they hope to have those areas re-energized tonight.”

    The nature of the power grid in Northern California renders Arcata and Eureka subject to power outages if other areas of the grid are at risk. The energy used in Northern Humboldt is imported through transmission lines to the Eureka Humboldt Bay Generating Plant, where it’s amplified for local use. If energy stops flowing through the lines to Humboldt, there is no source of energy and therefore, no electricity. 

    Terra-Gen, a Manhattan-based wind power company, has proposed a wind generation project for the Monument and Bear River Ridges that could provide nearly half of Humboldt’s energy. A panel discussion on the project will be held Nov. 6 at 5:30 p.m. in Founders Hall 118.

    “Anticipated project features include a significant contribution to North Coast renewable energy generation and to California’s clean energy mandate,” the panel flyer says.

    According to Terra-Gen, benefits of the project could include the creation of local green jobs and Humboldt Bay development. However, some local community members see the project as more consequential than not. 

    As California’s dry and windy seasons become the new normal, power shutoffs will likely become common occurrence.

    The proposed area of development, Monument and Bear River Ridges, sit on Wiyot territory. According to the Wiyot Tribe and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Monument and Bear River Ridges aren’t appropriate for wind development. The turbines could harm or destroy some of the rare and protected species that call the area home.

    “Concerns raised include impacts on bat and bird deaths; tree removal; effects on sites with cultural and ecological significance to Native American Tribes; erosion and sedimentation from sub-river drilling and road expansion; visual impacts; light and noise pollution; and traffic congestion,” the flyer says.

    The upcoming panel lists some of these concerns as additional talking points, but it is unclear if the company or the county have come to a conclusion on how to proceed with this particular option of alternative energy. 

    Alternatively, PG&E maintains that shutoffs are necessary to prevent dangerous wildfires like the Camp Fire of 2018. Any at-risk transmission line can be shut off. As California’s dry and windy seasons become the new normal, power shutoffs will likely become common occurrence. However, some individuals are taking advantage of the winds, rather than suffering from them. 

    Blue Lake Rancheria has tested local energy generation since 2011. The Rancheria has yet to be seriously impacted by the power shutoffs because they have solar electricity and battery storage, forming a microgrid. 

    Their microgrid works as a system of solar panels which power the Casino and other buildings during the day while also charging up a bank of Tesla batteries for the night. The grid can be connected or disconnected from PG&E’s grid as needed, making them sustainable without any power from the utility.

    The primary barrier to building offshore wind turbines and micro grids or improving PG&E’s transmission lines is cost. Alternative energy projects cost significantly more upfront that traditional fossil fuels. The economic costs of the recent power shutoffs, however, may be enough to kickstart real conversations about alternatives.

  • Humboldt County Won’t Lose Power on Tuesday

    Humboldt County Won’t Lose Power on Tuesday

    Some areas of Humboldt County still don’t have power, however power will potentially be restored by tonight

    UPDATE 10/29/19 5:25 p.m. : According to the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services alerts, “PG&E has advised that Humboldt County is no longer in teh scope for a Public Safety Power Shutoff tonight and power will remain on.”

    They also said at this time the National Weather Service does not see more weather patterns that would cause another PSPS event in the near future.

    UPDATE 10/29/19 4:24 p.m. : PG&E has now stated Humboldt County will be affected by a third power outage on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. rather than the previously reported 9 p.m.

    UPDATE 10/2/19 10:00 p.m. : According to a PG&E press release Humboldt county is expected to lose power on Oct. 29 at 9 p.m. This is the most current information as of Oct. 28 at 10 p.m.

    Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced in a press release they will shut power off for a third PSPS event scheduled for Oct. 29.

    The utility said the next weather event responsible for the third PSPS may begin Tuesday at 6 a.m. According to the Humboldt Office of Emergency Services, power will likely be turned off before that time, although the exact time of the shutoff remains unclear.

    The third PSPS event is expected to last until the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 30.

    Power was restored at Humboldt State University mid-morning Monday, but the campus remains closed through the duration of Tuesday. There is no update for Wednesday classes as of 5:20 p.m.

    PG&E has reported it could take up to 48 hours to assess the damage from the Oct. 26 PSPS, but said it is attempting to restore power to customers before the next shutoff. According to the utility company, it is possible not all customers will have their power restored before it goes off again.

    Amidst the shutoff, the Student Recreation Center is open temporarily till midnight. HSU is inviting students, staff, faculty and their families to eat for free at the J until campus reopens. Parking permits are not required during the shutdown.

    This story is ongoing and timing is subject to change due to changing weather patterns.

  • Fires Still Burn as PG&E Implements Mass Outages

    Fires Still Burn as PG&E Implements Mass Outages

    Largest intentional blackout in California history keeps millions without power while the state burns

    Over two million people across Northern California were without power on Sunday. Pacific Gas & Electric is working to restore power, but the company has scheduled another Public Power Safety Shutoff, this time for Tuesday morning.

    Despite the shutoffs, fires are burning across the state. The Kincade Fire, a 66,000 acre fire in northern Sonoma County, was only 5% contained as of Monday at 3 p.m. Located just northwest of Santa Rosa, the Kincade Fire has forced more than 180,000 people to evacuate, including the towns of Windsor and Healdsburg. 

    There are no casualties or missing persons reported as of yet, but 80,000 structures are at risk. Firefighters from as far south as Pasadena and as far north as Oregon have reported to the scene to try and stop the fire from pushing west across Highway 101. 

    PG&E’s shutoff is an unprecedented intentional blackout, and is the largest intentional blackout in history, according to the Los Angeles Times. The utility’s goal is to prevent high winds—which have reached upwards of 100 miles per hour in some parts of Sonoma County—from sparking wildfires.

    In a PG&E press conference on Saturday, CEO and President of the utility company—but not the entire corporation—Andy Vesey said the company’s goal is safety. 

    “Right now we have a big, historic event coming at us,” Vesey said. “We have two and a half million customers being impacted. There’s a real threat to public safety and that’s why we’re doing this.”

    Yet, across the nation, media outlets are questioning PG&E’s shutoffs. 

    Articles from Time, The Nation and ProPublica have claimed that PG&E’s shutoffs may not actually reduce wildfire risk. The shutoffs could prevent debris from sparking fires from electrical wires, but that is not the only cause of wildfires. Abraham Lustgarten for ProPublica points to cigarettes, barbecues, generators (which are used extensively during shutoffs) and cars as other common fire starters.

    “The blackouts solved nothing, of course,” Lustgarten wrote. “De-energizing the electrical grid is a bludgeon: imprecise, with enormous potential for collateral damage as people deal with a darkened world. It doesn’t even eliminate fire risk.”

    To Lustgarten’s point, a structure fire on the east side of the Arcata Plaza erupted Sunday afternoon, likely caused by a generator at the Big Blue Cafe, according to reporting by the Times Standard. While firefighters contained the blaze and no injuries were reported, initial estimates for the damages are as high as $2 million.

    “It’s more than just climate change. It’s about the failure of capitalism to address climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s a story about greed.”

    Gavin Newsom, California Governor

    In some instances, it seems the shut offs weren’t implemented in time to prevent electrical lines from sparking fires. PG&E admitted that it registered a failed jumper cable at one of its transmission towers near the possible ignition point of the Kincade Fire right before the fire began. The area of the fire was set for a Public Safety Power Shutoff, but it didn’t begin until 28 minutes after the fire started.

    The outages have pressed some government officials to speak out against the corporation and its tactics. California Governor Gavin Newsom called out PG&E for greed and mismanagement in a press conference on Thursday. 

    “It’s more than just climate change,” Newsom said. “It’s about the failure of capitalism to address climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s a story about greed.”

    Vermont Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tweeted that it was time to think about public ownership of utilities.

    Amidst the outages, PG&E’s stock has plummeted to all-time lows. On Saturday, Governor Newsom encouraged Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway to buy PG&E. 

    In the Saturday press conference, Vesey declined to entertain questions about PG&E’s tainted image. Vesey said those discussions can come later as they will focus on the public’s safety for now. 

    “No matter how much we focus on the past, it will not help us at all today or tomorrow,” Vesey said. “We take lessons learned, we take actions, we put in our programs and we work responsibly.”

    For now, California is under a statewide declaration of emergency by Governor Newsom, who has promised to hold PG&E accountable.

    “We will hold them to an account that they’ve never been held to in the past,” Newsom said in a press conference. “We will do everything in our power to restructure PG&E so it is a completely different entity when they get out of bankruptcy by June 30th of next year.”

  • Burning State

    Burning State

    By | Michelle N. Meyers

    A thick, grey haze blankets the state of California. People everywhere are being evacuated from their homes, while thousands of wildfires burn across hundreds of thousands of acres of land. Firefighters and emergency personnel from different towns, cities, states, and even countries have been fighting the California blazes for months.

    ThompsonIanFeature-1955jpg

    (Photo: Ian T.)

    This year to date, 6,744 fires that have burned a total of 731,260 acres according to Cal Fire. Currently, there are 35 wildfires burning statewide according to the Incident Information System, InciWeb. In order to battle the blazes, there have also been some 21,000 firefighters assigned to fires in 10 Western States. (NIFC)

    “We have a lot of dedicated men and women out there working to put this thing out,” says Shawn Compton, Orleans Complex Information Officer and firefighter since 1993

    ThompsonIanFeature-1714jpg

    (Photo: Ian T.)

    In addition, the NIFC states that the National Preparedness Level for wildfires has been elevated to National Preparedness Level 5 as of August 10, 2017, the highest level since august of 2013. Preparedness Levels are established by The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) throughout the year to ensure that firefighting resources are prepared to respond when incidents arise. According to the National Park Service, Preparedness Level 5 is a situation in which several geographic areas that are experiencing major incidents that have the potential to exhaust all resources.

    With so many fires going on this season at such high intensities, firefighters have been strapped for resources.

    “It doesn’t help right now with all the hurricanes going on either,” says Compton. “When you have no more resources nationwide, it’s really hard to find them.” The scarcity of resources makes it much harder to respond to these fires. With so much going on at one time, there are only so many resources to go around and Compton says it ultimately comes down to “what fire is more important to the other.”

    While this season proves to be a difficult one to manage, Curtis Coots, The Orleans Complex Incident Commander says that, “When it comes down to it, life and property, that’s always the focus.”

    But what’s going to stop the blazes? While manpower alone can redirect and slow down the progression of fires, it isn’t manpower that’s going to stop these high intensity fires.

    “You can put 1000 firefighters in front of a crown fire, its not going to stop it,” says Compton. “A season ending event, that’s what’s going to put the fire out.”

    ThompsonIanFeature-1965jpg

    (Photo: Ian T.)

    California Fire Map as of Sept. 13, 2017

     

    Spotlight On The La Tuna Fire

     

    Some say the La Tuna Fire may be the largest fire in Los Angeles’s history. So far, it has scorched some 7,194 acres of land, obliterated 4 homes, and prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency. Yet, as of now, The La Tuna Fire is 100 percent contained.

    On Sept. 4, 2017, while fighting the perimeter of the La Tuna Fire, Torrance Firefighters came across the Theodore Payne Foundation For Wildflowers and Native Plants in Sun Valley. When they saw it, they fell in love with its beauty and its mission, and they felt that they couldn’t let the place go up in smoke.

    After fighting fire around the parameters of the foundation, the firefighters slept on their picnic tables over the night. The next morning, Foundation Director of Horticulture Tim Becker and Foundation Executive Director Kitty Connolly were relieved to find a large fire engine in their parking lot with four firefighters standing by.

    “We were really happy that they were here,” says Connolly.

    After being evacuated several days earlier, they were on pins and needles that all would be lost in the fire, and it nearly was.

    “They stopped the fire right at the edge of our property,” says Connolly, “their skill is incredible.”

    All surrounding areas of the foundation have been burned.

    “It’s just heartbreaking to come down the canyon,” says Connolly, “it’s just black.”

  • Church doors mysteriously catch fire

    Church doors mysteriously catch fire

    By| Bryan Donoghue

    A fire sparked on the doorstep to the Arcata Presbyterian Church on G Street and 11th last night, and at the moment, it’s a mystery as to how it began.

    “All I can really give you right now is that we’ve had a fire it’s suspicious in nature it is out we have confirmed that the building is no longer in danger, that’s why we’ve been sending resources home and right now we’re coordinating an investigation with Arcata Police,” Chief Rene Campbell, director of Division 1 for the Arcata Fire District said. File_002.jpeg

    According to Campbell, the firefighters on the scene were very aggressive in dealing with the fire and were first on the scene, just in time to contain it.

    “Obviously this is not only a significant historic piece in our community but a very large building could be very dangerous,” Campbell said.

    Thankfully, the Arcata Fire District received plenty of support. Neighboring agencies joined in to help at a crucial moment to contain the fire.

    “We went big on this just because of the building it was,” Campbell said, “We had every department basically around us coming in immediate need.”

    “Great coordination and teamwork by our Fortuna ECC, the command center, the dispatch, units that were listening to the scanner were gearing up, so I mean just everyone did their job tonight and I’m thankful for that,” Campbell said.

    The elders of the church watched from Wells Fargo on the other side of G Street as the fire crew went in and out of the building.

    “We’re elders for the church, we’ve been with the church for years,” said Stephanie Witzel, treasurer for the church. “There’s a few of us down here from the church so we’re just down here to see it, and thinking about how to secure the building.”

    “We’re just thankful that this is all that happened,” said Joan Tempas, the Clerk of Session for the church. “It’s always a concern because of people that sleep in and out, and around the church and stuff, and just always being aware that the church is 100 years old.”

    Undoubtably the doorway into the church has been scorched, but the elders of the church are looking forward to the support they’ll receive from people willing to help.

    “It’s really the pitts.” Witzel said. “But hopefully it’s just gets localized and get it boarded up and call on people we know to help us out.”

    Community efforts to help the church are openly welcomed. There is plenty of clean up needed to bring the church back to it’s normal state.

    “We can probably use help from other people. If people want to help out, call the church and see what they can do,” Tempas said. “But you know, it’s great to have people be concerned, it really is. It’s a landmark here.”

    The church will not be hosting any services tomorrow. According to Tempas, Pastor Daniel Link also preaches out at Bayside Church in Jacoby Creek Road. Tempas, Witzel and the other elders will be going out there today and holding there services at the Bayside Church.

     

  • Fire two miles from HSU

    Fire two miles from HSU

     

    By | Iridian Casarez and Curran C. Daly

    Updated Thursday 3:30

    A fire started at 12:24 p.m. on private property 200 feet away from the Arcata Community Forrest. Cal fire responded from Mad River Station, according to Captain Alex Manousous. It was a slow deep seated fire on a redwood stump.

    “Right now we are just focusing on extinguishing the fire,” Manousous said. “This was a small fire, typical for the forest.”

    There is active logging in the area that was unrelated to the fire. The cause of the fire is still undetermined until further investigation. The fire was less than a 10th of an acre.

    Cal Fire helicopters were in the air before Arcata Fire district arrived.

    Mike McDowall, City of Arcata’s natural resource technician, came to the scene. He came to determine if the fire was on the City of Arcata’s property and if the Arcata Fire District needed extra help.

     

    Screen Shot 2017-09-14 at 1.12.52 PM
    Reporter Iridian Casarez  tracked down the fire on private property, two miles east of Humboldt State University.

     

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    Updated Thursday 1:45 P.M.

    A Cal Fire helicopter is currently dropping water on a fire in the Arcata Community Forest. The fire is about 2 miles east of the Humboldt State University campus. The Lumberjack will continue to update this story as we learn more.

    Original Post:

    There is a helicopter circling the Arcata community forest amid reports of a fire in the forest. The Lumberjack will provide additional information when it is made available.

     

  • Hoopa Valley High School fire

    Hoopa Valley High School fire

    By Iridian Casarez

    Three buildings at Hoopa Valley High School were engulfed in 40 foot flames early Monday morning.

    According to Times Standard, Hoopa Valley High School’s auto shop, wood shop and choir room went up in flames due to a “suspicious” fire. An investigation is underway by the multi-agency Humboldt County Arson Task Force.

    Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department Chief Amos Pole said to the Times Standard that the fire was deemed suspicious due to the way the fire spread from each building.

    Authorities arrived at the scene around 3 a.m. where they were able to prevent the fires from expanding. It took the Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department two and a half hours to put out the flames.

    There were no fire personnel injuries.

    According to the Times Standard, the three buildings that were burned were closed down due to mold infestations. The Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified School District had spent a lot of money on renovations and designs for the building to be reopened mold-free.

  • Butane ban from Arcata

    Butane ban from Arcata

    The process to make butane hash oil can result in explosions and chemical fires.

    Butane hash oil, also known as wax, honey oil, shatter, and dab, is made by butane extraction. This process is used to create butane hash oil containing large amounts of THC, the intoxicant in marijuana, by blasting marijuana with butane.

    Butane is odorless and can be easily ignited, and is typically used as camp fuel, propellant, and lighter fluid. Many explosions occur as a result of handling chemicals in an unsafe, non-lab environment such as a house.

    Arcata joined a growing list of cities regulating butane products due to concerns over dangers from its use in producing butane hash oil.

    In an effort to deter people from exploding their homes, garages and other residential areas, Arcata City Council approved an ordinance that regulates the sale and possession of butane.

    City Attorney Nancy Diamond attended the Arcata City Council meeting held on Jan. 4 when the ordinance was approved.

    “Because butane is highly volatile and it is being used in an unregulated context,” Diamond said. “It is causing a particular hazard to the public and first responders.”

    The typical consumer container of butane is 300 ml as opposed to a typical refillable lighter which contains about 5.5 ml.

    Arcata City Councilmember Michael Winkler approved the ordinance due to his concern for an increase in public safety and the overall hazard associated with butane use for extraction of THC.

    Since the ordinance having gone into effect on Feb. 4, there have been two fires where there have been leads to the use of butane, according to Arcata Fire District Chief Justin McDonald.

    On Jan. 8, there was one incident which according to the report was most likely drug related, according to Arcata Fire Chief Justin McDonald.

    In Manila on Jan. 14, inside a trailer, a butane hash oil explosion occurred due the extraction process that blew the doors and the windows out of the building.

    “It absolutely ripped the trailer park apart,” McDonald said. “When our crews got there, the exterior walls were blown 15 to 20 feet out.”

    Not many drug related fires can compare to those of butane fires, according to McDonald. Grow house fires, where someone converts a single family residence into a grow operation, don’t grow as rapidly as a butane explosion, according to McDonald.

    “The fire starts off slow and then builds versus the butane goes, boom, it’s big,” McDonald said.

    In 2016, two people were injured after they ignited their cigarette in their car after making butane hash oil in their car, according to McDonald.

    McDonald has been seeing the evolution of these types of incidents, which he calls catastrophic, while being in the Arcata Fire District for 23 years.

    “The ones [fires] that I have been to, the windows and doors have been blown out of the buildings and if people are in there quite often they are pretty severely burned,” McDonald said. “Hair burned off or singed and skin burned off and hanging from their arms.”

    The most recent explosion in Manila in Midway Court was the most devastating butane related incident that McDonald has seen.

    “There were butane bottles zinging through the air because they were still exploding,” McDonald said. “There were enough butane canisters that sustained and kept burning.”

    Arcata has had a history of butane hash oil explosions with six occurring within the last four years. Eureka has also had its number of incidents and has had regulations on butane since Nov. 2016.

    In Nov. 2016, California voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana use.  Now adults over the age of 21 can partake in using, possessing and sharing cannabis, as well as growing it at home.

    Under California law, it’s legal for medical marijuana patients to purchase butane hash oil, but the process of making the oil is illegal.

    A law recently signed, called AB 2679, which will go into effect in 2018, provides a framework for legitimate marijuana manufacturers and allows the extraction process to occur under certain conditions.

    AB 2679 addresses the problem of law enforcement now not being able to shut down facilities that have obtained permits by the city for manufacturing. This law clarifies specific requirements both for a legal form of butane extraction and for extraction using solvents that don’t allow fumes to escape during the process.

    Labs often use solvents to extract the psychoactive ingredient THC from dry marijuana. The process produces a gooey residue that contains a highly concentrated dose of THC and is widely popular at medical marijuana dispensaries.

    “I am not against the licensed process of butane extraction, but it has to be done with the proper permits,” Winkler said. “The city of Arcata will issue permits for manufacturing butane extraction that is legal and safe.”

    Patients, pot identification card-holders, caregivers, collectives and cooperatives will not face state criminal sanctions if they follow the new rules.

    Up until this new law, all forms of butane extraction in California were illegal. The process of creating butane hash oil is legal in places like Colorado.

    The city’s ordinance prohibits retailers from selling more than 600 ml of butane to a buyer in one month. One can of butane contains 320 ml. The law would make it illegal for any person who is not a vendor to have more than 600 ml of butane at any given time.

    Store retailers are required to track the sale of butane canisters and and record the buyer’s name and address and keep this record on file for two years. This is for the city to be aware of their own butane sales and to keep track of an individual’s butane purchases.

    Along with this, butane cans must be placed in glass cases within the store where purchasers would not have access without an employee’s assistance.

    Butane cans are now stored in inaccessible glass cases, where purchasers cannot access without employee assistance.

    “Stores would sell cases of butane, twelve at a time,” Winkler said. “Now there is a monthly limit and stricter rules on how many can be bought at one time.”

    These prohibitions are similar among the various butane sales regulation ordinances adopted across the state to date, according to the ordinance.

    Violators of the ordinance would be charged with a misdemeanor or an infraction.

  • This Week in News (March 22 to March 28)

    This Week in News (March 22 to March 28)

    By | Iridian Casarez

    Local

    -House fire in Arcata

    A father and son managed to escape a fire that quickly engulfed their home on March 24. The fire started in a closet and spread into a bedroom. Both of them managed to escape from the backyard.

    Source: North Coast News

    -Arcata School of Massage closes for good

    The Arcata School of Massage closes after receiving “pending denial” from the California Massage Therapy Council. Arcata School of Massage Director Tobin Rangdrol said he discussed closing the school with the 15 students who are enrolled in the program. The council designates whether the school’s graduates are eligible for certification to work within the state.

    Source: Times Standard

    -Klamath management zone closed this season

    The commercial and recreational ocean Chinook salmon fishing seasons in the Klamath Management Zone from southern Oregon to north of Shelter Cove will be closed this season. Climate change caused parasites and disease in the Klamath that affected the salmon. The Pacific Fishery Management Council, is considering a statewide closure of the commercial Chinook salmon season.

    Source: Mad River Union

    U.S.

    -Cincinnati club shooting

    A gunfight broke out outside of a nightclub in Cincinnati leaving one dead and 16 others injured on Sunday night. There were no links to the shooting being a terrorist attack. Police are still looking for suspects.

    Source: Chicago Tribune

    -33 reptiles dead at zoo

    33 reptiles were found dead at a zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee. The herpetology team at the zoo couldn’t find an explanation as to how the reptiles died. The zoo housed 52 reptiles.

    Source: CNN

    -Las Vegas shooting

    A gunman was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder after he started shooting on a Las Vegas bus. The gunman was identified as Rolando Cardenas, 55. Authorities said when Cardenas started shooting he appeared delusional.  

    Source: NBC News

    World

    -London Attack

    A man drove a car onto the sidewalk of the Westminster Bridge by the House of Parliament hitting pedestrians and killing three on March 22.  The man was identified by authorities as Khalid Masood. Masood stabbed and killed a police inside the Palace of Westminster. There was no evidence that the attack was linked to so-called Islamic State or al-Qaeda.

    Source: BBC News

    -Russian Protest

    Sixty thousand demonstrators took part in more than 80 anti-corruption protests across Russia. Boycotting the government of President Vladimir Putin. More than 700 people were  arrested and detained.

    Source: Now This

    -Cyclone Debbie

    A powerful cyclone hit Queensland Australia Tuesday afternoon. The storm’s winds gusted to 160 mph. Reports suggested that 30 inches of rain fell 0ver the course of the storm’s duration.

    Source: Washington Post

  • This week in News (Feb. 9 to Feb. 14)

    This week in News (Feb. 9 to Feb. 14)

    By | Iridian Casarez

    Local

    El Pueblo Market caught fire

    -El Pueblo Market located on Broadway Street in Eureka burned down in flames Feb. 8 according to the Eureka Times Standard.

    U.S. District court judge rules in favor of salmon

    -U.S. District Court judge William H. Orrick ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service must release more water from the Klamath dams, on Feb. 8. Judge Orrick ruled that the Bureau had mismanaged the river, causing “irreparable” harm to the salmon according to the North Coast Journal.

    Nursing program at HSU

    – Six years ago Humboldt State University discontinued its nursing program. HSU and College of the Redwoods announced Wednesday, Feb. 8 they are working to bring a local nursing program back to Humboldt County in the fall 2018 according to the Redwood Times.

    U.S.

    Oroville dam overflows

    -The Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway collapsed after the dam overflowed. Officials ordered residents living below the dam to evacuate Sunday in Oroville, Calif. according to the LA Times.

    African Muslims march

    -Around 200 African Muslims march in New York in protest of President Trump’s Muslim ban on Sunday Feb. 12. According to the Observer, protesters marched to defend the U.S. Constitution against President Trump’s executive orders targeting travelers from countries with high Muslim poplations and undocumented immigrants.

    National Secretary Advisor resigns

    -Michael T. Flynn, the U.S. National Security Adviser, resigned on Monday night after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, according to the New York Times.

    World

    North Korea missile tested

    -North Korea has tested a ballistic missile this past weekend calling it a success.  The missile was tested on Feb. 12 under the supervision of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un according to North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency, KCNA.

    Mexico protests Trump

    -Thousands march in protest of United States President Donald Trump in Mexico City on Sunday Feb. 12. Many people were also holding signs in protest of their own President Enrique Peña Nieto for presiding over rampant corruption and violence at home according to The Guardian.

    Candidate for chief minister found guilty

    New Delhi, India’s Supreme Court convicted  V.K. Sasikala,  an advisor of the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday Feb. 14  in a corruption case that will put her behind bars and effectively end her bid to become chief minister of the southern state.

    The court found Sasikala guilty in the disproportionate assets case, upholding a four-year jail term handed down by a lower court and banning her from seeking elected office for 10 years.