Nareau lifts protective order for the St. Francis Hotel

Lassen County Superior Court Judge Mark Nareau lifted his protective order halting any demolition activity at the St. Francis Hotel during a status conference Tuesday, Nov. 19, despite protests from both the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office and David Evans, defense attorney for alleged arsonist Tahnee Willow Orr.

Don Brand, Lassen County deputy district attorney prosecuting the case against Orr, who is charged with arson — setting the fire that destroyed the historic building — filed the application Nov. 8 in order to preserve any evidence the prosecution and the defense might need in the case.

Nareau said the threat to public safety posed by the burned building was “a very real concern to the court.”

Nareau found the law enforcement investigations of the scene have been completed. Even though the finished reports of those investigations have not yet been completed or given to either the prosecution or the defense, the investigations themselves have been completed.

City Manager Dan Newton told the court the city had changed its plans for the demolition of the wall on Main Street. The original plan was to knock the front wall back into the interior of the building, but the city had decided to pull the wall toward the street instead.

Demolition of the front wall was expected to begin today, Thursday, Nov. 21.