Small fire burns Santa Rosa homeless camp, surroundings

The blaze is the latest in a string of fires apparently started by people since Saturday, said officials.|
RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Fire from a homeless camp along Santa Rosa railroad tracks Tuesday night burned a small area near Dutton Avenue, according to a Santa Rosa fire official.

It was the second homeless camp fire that spread into vegetation and the fourth Santa Rosa fire apparently started by people since Saturday, said Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

Firefighters called at 10:23 p.m. struggled to reach the fire along the SMART train railroad area as they had to cut fencing to reach it.

The fire burned camp belongings, including a bed and mattress, and spread into brush and blackberry bushes, Lowenthal said. No one was at the small camp when firefighters arrived.

On Saturday, Santa Rosa firefighters put out a cooking fire that spread from an illegal camp in the hills along Chanate Road. Two more fires from the weekend broke out at a city park along Santa Rosa Creek in east Santa Rosa, which Lowenthal said were suspicious.

The fires remain under investigation.

- Randi Rossmann

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