The shell of a block of historic buildings in Huntington was demolished Friday after a fire swept through three businesses in the downtown business district Thursday night and Friday morning.

Gone is the structure built in 1890 that housed the well-known Howell’s Cafe and Streamliner Lounge and Grady’s Tavern.

A press release from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office stated that a deputy and an Oregon State Police trooper initially responded to what was reported as a “disturbance” at Huntington about 10:45 p.m. Thursday.

Little did the officers know the call would turn into an investigation of a first-degree arson fire that burned through the night and destroyed the historic structures in Huntington’s main street business district.

Raynmon Haze Garcia, 21, who is described as a transient, has been charged with first-degree arson. He was arraigned Friday in Baker County Circuit Court. Garcia is being held at the Baker County Jail in lieu of $50,000 full bail, a corrections deputy said.

That means Garcia could not be released unless he posted the full amount; in many cases suspects can gain release from jail by posting 10% of the bail.

The press release stated that Deputy Chad Mills and OSP Trooper Tim Schuette responded to the initial call and talked to the victim involved in the reported disturbance.

The victim told officers that Garcia had stated “he was going to burn the bar down,” the press release stated. Garcia had left the residence where the disturbance had taken place. The officers made contact with him later and determined that no crime had been committed at that point.

Mills noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the area of Grady’s Tavern at about 11:40 p.m. Thursday, according to the press release. The Huntington Fire Department was called and firefighters found the tavern, Howell’s Cafe and the Streamliner Lounge all fully engulfed in flames.

In the meantime, Mills and Schuette located Garcia, who had remained in the area, and arrested him on the first-degree arson charge.

In addition to the Huntington Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office and OSP, other agencies at the scene included Fruitland and Weiser, Idaho, fire departments, Treasure Valley paramedics, Baker, North Powder and Haines rural fire departments and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.

As the investigation continued, Highway 30 through downtown Huntington was closed due to fire traffic.

The city’s annual Huntington Catfish Derby continued during the Memorial Day weekend with a few alterations. The Lions Club park was closed and most activities were moved to the City Park and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall.