A fire broke out among cars and RVs parked at West Grand Avenue and Wood Street in Oakland on April 5, 2022.
Oakland Fire DepartmentOne person died Tuesday afternoon in a fire that broke out among an encampment of vehicles parked on Caltrans property near Wood Street and 26th Street in Oakland, officials said.
The blaze was first reported at 1:25 p.m., and when firefighters arrived on scene, three RVs, a flatbed truck and two cars were engulfed in flames, Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Tijiboy told SFGATE.
People at the scene initially told firefighters that someone was trapped in an RV, Tijiboy said. “Once we were able to contain the fire, the residents said everyone was out,” he added. “But there was a fatality. We found one person in one of the RVs.”
Access to water is often an issue with encampment fires, and with this incident firefighters had to bring in 600 to 700 feet of hose, Tijiiboy said.
“There have been a ton in the other homeless encampments around the city,” Tijiboy told SFGATE last month, noting that they often start from propane tanks or a fire that was started to provide heat and got out of control. Last month, a fire erupted near Lake Merritt in a city-sanctioned village of tiny homes for people without permanent housing.
The fire was out by 2 p.m. The cause of the Tuesday fire is under investigation. The victim has not been identified.
April 5, 2022Updated: April 5, 2022 2:44 p.m. A fire broke out among cars and RVs parked at West Grand Avenue and Wood Street in Oakland on April 5, 2022.Oakland Fire Department One person died Tuesday afternoon in a fire that broke out among an encampment of vehicles parked on Caltrans property near Wood Street and 26th Street in Oakland, officials said. The blaze was first reported at 1:25 p.m., and when firefighters arrived on scene, three RVs, a flatbed truck and two cars were engulfed in flames, Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Tijiboy told SFGATE. People at the scene initially told firefighters that someone was trapped in an RV, Tijiboy said. “Once we were able to contain the fire, the residents said everyone was out,” he added. “But there was a fatality. We found one person in one of the RVs.” Access to water is often an issue with encampment fires, and with this incident firefighters had to bring in 600 to 700 feet of hose, Tijiiboy said. “There have been a ton in the other homeless encampments around the city,” Tijiboy told SFGATE last month, noting that they often start from propane tanks or a fire that was started to provide heat and got out of control. Last month, a fire erupted near Lake Merritt in a city-sanctioned village of tiny homes for people without permanent housing. The fire was out by 2 p.m. The cause of the Tuesday fire is under investigation. The victim has not been identified.