One Dead, Five Injured in Oakland (CA) Homeless Camp Fire

Update: Crews remain on scene at the encampment fire on Caltrans property near 26th & Wood St. The fire was reported at 125pm and placed under control at 2pm. 3 RVs, 2 cars and 1 flatbed truck were burned. 5 persons were displaced and one person was found deceased inside an RV.https://t.co/ZSqyZfiOtc

— Oakland Fire Department (CA) (@OaklandFireCA)April 5, 2022

George Kelly

东湾倍

(MCT)

Apr. 6—OAKLAND — A person was found dead inside one of several recreational vehicles that caught fire Tuesday at a West Oakland homeless encampment near the Bay Bridge toll plaza, authorities said.

At 1:15 p.m., Oakland Fire Department firefighters responded to reports of the blaze at West Grand Avenue and Wood Street, Oakland Fire battalion chief Frank Tijiboy said.

The fire at the encampment on Caltrans property involved three recreational vehicles, two passenger vehicles and a flatbed truck, Oakland Fire spokesman Michael Hunt said. One RV was completely destroyed Tuesday, while another RV’s frame was left and the third was burned halfway through.

Arriving firefighters heard from encampment residents that they thought all the vehicles’ occupants had managed to get out, but a person’s body was later found inside one of the recreational vehicles, Tijiboy said. The fire was placed under control around 2 p.m.

The identity of the person found dead was not released immediately, pending confirmation and notification of any next of kin.

Prior encampment fire responses were hampered by limited access to water, with firefighters forced to lay nearly 500 feet of hose from a hydrant at 26th and Wood streets in order to reach inside the encampment.

According to Hunt, there were about 90 different fires of varying size and severity from March 3, 2021 to March 2, 2022 along Wood from West Grand Avenue to 34th Street, with a large majority on Caltrans property inside the encampment under the freeway and involving debris, vegetation or vehicles.

At least five people were displaced by the blaze. There were no immediate reports of property damage estimates. An Oakland Fire investigator responded to the scene, but witness testimony and other evidence did not preliminarily identify a cause.

Check back for updates.

Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.

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