By Thadeus Greenson
The Eureka Times-Standard
EUREKA, Calif. — A break-in at the Carlotta Fire Hall Monday morning has residents asking for the public’s assistance in keeping an eye on the place.
The break-in — during which the hall’s door was kicked in shortly before 6 a.m., but nothing was taken — is the second in seven months. In June, the hall was burglarized, with unidentified thieves making off with the volunteer fire department’s defibrillator and a pair of bags containing medical supplies. Shortly after the break-in, the Carlotta Community Services Board voted to install an alarm at the place, which sits isolated along State Route 36 on the east side of Carlotta.
“We just have a little volunteer fire department, and this has really cut into our budget,” said Janet Mattson, a board member, estimating the cost of the first break-in at more than $5,000. “We really want the public to know what’s going on because our fire hall is kind of isolated, and we’d like folks to help keep an eye on it.”
Fire Chief Carrol Brownfield said it appears the would-be burglar or burglars simply kicked in the hall’s front door Monday morning, then fled when the alarm went off.
“The alarm scared them off so it was well worth the money we paid for it,” he said, asking that anyone passing by keep an eye out for activity at the fire hall at odd hours of the day.
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