Rob AriasOakland Fire crews remain on the scene at another homeless encampment fire near 26th & Wood St. Heavy black smoke could be seen billowing across the area.
The fire at the Caltrans-owned property was reported at 1: 25 p.m. and declared under control at about 2 p.m. The cause of the fire was undetermined according to the OFD’s latest update.
3 RVs, 2 cars and 1 flatbed truck were burned. 5 persons were displaced and one person was found deceased inside an RV according to the Oakland Fire Department.
This the latest in a string of fires at the large homeless encampment with the most recent fire claiming two pets and displacing five.
Berkeleyside is reporting another RV fire in West Berkeley today that resulted in a minor injury.
Some municipalities are reporting a large surge in encampment fires since the pandemic began. The Oakland Fire department reported 61 encampment fires in March alone.
The encampment area has been the site of approximately 90 fires over the last 12 months according to Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.
Since this is breaking news, we will update this post as new information becomes available.
Feature Image: Oakland Firefighters Twitter account.
