UPDATE: Humboldt Bay Fire evacuated a California Street apartment building owned by Floyd and Betty Squires of nearly a dozen people and rescued “a number of pets” from last night’s fire at the property, one of 26 placed under a “receivership” by the courts to procure needed repairs. The couple is currently in bankruptcy proceedings […]
Kym Kemp
Kym Kemp is the editor and publisher of the news website Redheaded Blackbelt at www.kymkemp.com.
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Scenes From the Camp Fire
The Camp Fire raging in Butte County is now known to have claimed 48 lives – with six people found yesterday in residences that had been overrun by flames. That number is expected to rise as teams comb through the ashes in search of those not yet accounted for nearly a week later. Around 7,600 […]
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Update: 30 Acre Fire Burning Near Hoopa
UPDATE: Read the latest on the Signboard fire here. PREVIOUSLY: An escaped prescribed burn has spread over 30 acres of steep terrain east of Hoopa, according to Peggi Lawrence, Public Affairs specialist for Six Rivers National Forest. Yesterday afternoon, the Signboard Fire rolled downhill from a planned burn started last Thursday by Hoopa Tribe to […]
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Fourth Update: New Fire Springs Up Off Kneeland Road
FOURTH UPDATE: Forward progress of the fire in the Bridgeville area, known as the Redwood incident, has been stopped at 1.8 acres, according to Cal Fire. THIRD UPDATE: Cal Fire declares the Green Hill vegetation fire contained at 10 acres but warns that a new incident has sprung up off Kneeland Road, where a full […]
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Fire Breaks out Near Redway
UPDATE: Forward progress has been stopped on the Red Fire as of about 2:25 p.m., according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Savanna. PREVIOUSLY: A fire is burning on the mountain across the South Fork of the Eel River from Redway in Southern Humboldt. Readers report that they first saw smoke before 11:30 a.m. Cal […]
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McKinleyville Pedestrian Extricated After Being Trapped Under Vehicle
A pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle in the 1500 block of City Center Road by the Safeway in McKinleyville was being taken to the hospital after being extricated from under the vehicle just before 2:30 p.m. According to the scanner and to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page, the woman’s leg had been […]
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UPDATE: Wildfire Burning in Heavy Timber West of Honeydew
UPDATE: According to an evening update from Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Savona, forward progress on the fire has been stopped and no structures were lost but “due to heavy fuels and mop up, crews will be working in the area throughout the day tomorrow.” PREVIOUSLY: About 4 p.m., Cal Fire received a report of […]
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UPDATE: Fortuna Man Killed in Today’s Second Traffic Fatality
UPDATE: A 75-year-old Fortuna man died after his car went off the Eel River Drive just before 11: 20 a.m. today and hit a tree, according to the CHP. The crash near Copenhagen Road killed driver Steven Laurilliard. No other vehicles were involved. PREVIOUSLY: A fatal car crash occurred around 11:20 a.m. after a silver […]
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UPDATE: Search on for Missing HSU Student Swept off North Jetty
SECOND UPDATE: The Coast Guard has suspended the search for a 19-year-old Humboldt State University student who was swept off of the North Jetty Monday afternoon while fishing with friends. KeyMaan Stringer, who was from Los Angeles, was last seen about 4:30 p.m. when he went to free his line and was hit by a […]
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SECOND UPDATE: Suspicious Powder Substance Closes Street in Eureka
SECOND UPDATE: The Humboldt Court Clerk’s Office will be closed for the rest of the day due to “public safety concerns” after a white substance was found on the outside door this morning, according to a release. Read more about the closure here. UPDATE: Michelle Bishop, an employee at the courthouse, sent Redheaded Blackbelt the […]
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‘Come into Compliance,’ Says State Water Board
On Oct. 5, 174 notices of violation from the State Water Resources Control Board were sent out by certified mail to residents of the Salmon Creek watershed in Southern Humboldt. Over the next week, the thick stacks of letters dwindled as worried neighbors signed and took home their notices. The letters stated that a property […]
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Light Pole Blocking S Street After Accident
A light pole is down and blocking most of S Street in Eureka after an accident about 4:15 p.m. that is snarling traffic in the area. According to the scanner, there are no injuries but the number one and two lanes are currently closed. Caltrans is on the scene.