Citizen journalist Anna Bernard sent us this brief story with photos this afternoon.

The normally quiet Vassaides neighborhood at the north end of Alliance Road in Arcata was the staging area for a fire at the corner of Alliance and Spear.  Arcata fire fighters and Arcata police began arriving at the scene shortly before 2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29.

Arcata's Vassaides neighborhood used as staging area for blaze.

Arcata Police officer David Brown directs volunteers at the scene of the fire.

The building on the southeast corner is currently a gift shop called The Emerald.  The building is about 100 years old and was once used for cold storage for hunters.  Smoke billowed from the rooftop as fire fighters struggled to gain entry to the attic area.

Firefighters used a chain saw to get to the flames.

Determined to access the fire, they used a chain saw to cut a huge hole into the upper façade of the building.  Over an hour later, the firefighter had the upper hand on the burning building and by 4 p.m. the activity was slowing down.

The old Arcata building sustained serious damage.