Eureka Motel Closed After Two Deaths, Elevated Carbon Monoxide Detected

A Broadway motel where two women were found dead in the same room five days apart has been shut down after Humboldt Bay Fire crews detected elevated carbon monoxide levels during the second emergency response and several firefighters displayed mild symptoms of exposure.

Eureka Police Department and Humboldt Bay Fire responded twice to the Lamplighter Motel in the 4000 block of Broadway — once around 2 p.m. on Feb. 21, and again around noon on Feb. 26. Both calls came in as reports of two people unconscious, possibly from a drug overdose. In each instance, one person was pronounced dead at the scene and another was transported to a local hospital. The second person transported on Feb. 26 was described as being in critical condition.

The first victim was a 37-year-old woman; the second was 36 years old. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, and the Humboldt County Coroner's Office lists the cause of death for both women as pending investigation.

Although both calls were initially logged as suspected overdoses, EPD spokesperson Rachel Sollom told the Lost Coast Outpost that investigators found no evidence at the scene to support that conclusion.

The carbon monoxide discovery came after a firefighter treating the second patient began showing signs of exposure. "One of our firefighters that was treating a critical patient, after the patient was transported, showed mild signs of exposure to carbon monoxide," Humboldt Bay Fire Chief Tim Citro said. "Our crew then went in and did atmospheric monitoring with the four-gas monitor and discovered elevated levels within the motel room."

No CO detectors were found in the room, according to EPD. Citro added that when crews conducted their stop-order inspection, they found that carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors in that specific room and others "were no longer in service."

Following the elevated CO discovery, HBF's battalion chief and deputy chief/fire marshal, EPD detectives and evidence technicians, and PG&E personnel responded to the scene. Motel occupants were evacuated while the building was ventilated.

The City of Eureka's Code Enforcement office and chief building official were called to the property. Together with HBF Fire Chief Citro and the fire marshal, the chief building official determined the motel could not remain occupied. The city served the business owner with a First and Final Notice requiring the property to remain closed until all identified violations are remedied and inspections are completed. A city letter to the owner stated that "all equipment must be confirmed to be in proper working condition before occupancy is allowed or utilities are restored" and that each room must be equipped with fully functioning carbon monoxide detectors.

Each room must be re-inspected by both the city building department and Humboldt Bay Fire before any guests are allowed to return.

The closure carries additional weight given the property's recent inspection history. Humboldt Bay Fire conducted its annual fire inspection of the motel in July 2025 and noted violations; a follow-up inspection a week later found those violations had been corrected. The current enforcement action proceeds under the California Fire Code.

EPD described the matter as an "ongoing active multi-agency investigation.