On Wednesday, June 12 at 6:30 PM, the Arcata Fire District responded to a commercial structure fire in the 1500 block of Nursery Way. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered light smoke coming from the building. They promptly entered the structure and confirmed that the fire was out, although there was smoke throughout. The fire officer in charge then canceled additional responding units and began ventilating the building.
A neighboring business owner informed fire personnel that he had entered the building where the fire was and extinguished a burning Lithium Ion battery. The fire damage was limited to E-bike components and a table within the business, with light smoke damage throughout the space.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a charging E-Bike battery that had failed. Arcata Fire expressed gratitude to Andrew Jordan of Surfside Sips for his actions, which likely saved the entire building and its contents. They also reminded the public to ensure their fire extinguishers are charged annually and after use, to use caution when charging Lithium Ion batteries, and to never leave them unattended while charging.