A fire that broke out at a homeless encampment on Woodside Road and El Camino Sunday afternoon resulted in property damage to the fence of an adjacent four-plex property and minor damage to two vehicles, Redwood City officials announced on Monday. There were no injuries. The investigation was complete but the “exact cause was deemed undetermined,” according to officials.
The fire occurred at 1:35 p.m. at a well-established homeless encampment of the Hazel/Linden location of the Woodside Road and El Camino cloverleaf, the city said in a news release. By 5:06 p.m., the fire investigator had cleared the area, officials said. Five propane tanks were recovered from the site, but officials said they were not believed to be involved in the fire.
Damage to the tents, mattresses and personal property to the individuals at the site was also reported.
According to the city, it has been actively coordinating with the State Department of Transportation (CalTrans) for months as many encampments in Redwood City are located on CalTrans property, such as the location of this most recent incident.
“We are calling on CalTrans to come to the table this week with our City and our legislative representatives to develop an immediate plan to protect our community from the health and safety issues created by encampments on their land,” said Redwood City Mayor, Giselle Hale in a statement. “We are grateful to our legislators for their collaboration and responsiveness. Thankfully, no injuries were sustained as a result of the most recent encampment fire but we need immediate action to prevent future incidents.”
The city said it has arranged for civilian homeless outreach workers to regularly visit the encampment and provide resources to homeless individuals. The City’s March 14 State of the City Address will focus on the City’s substantial efforts to eliminate homelessness and ensure homes for all.
