Fire at Encampment over Thanksgiving Weekend

A fire charred a car at a homeless encampment Saturday morning, Nov. 25, 2017.
Harry Harris/Bay Area News Group

Janie at Wood Street encampment in front of what remains after the fire.
Photo: Wanda Sabir

There was a fire at the Wood Street encampment over the Thanksgiving weekend recently. Kheven and I drove over to see the damage and speak to residents who were affected. Janie, whom I have known for 3 years this fall shared with me her experience. Holding the lease of a puppy she shared that she lost everything. I told her I would return with a tent and other items.

I have returned a few times, but each time she is not there.  We keep missing each other. The winds were blowing really strongly when I went by Monday afternoon. I left my card with one of her friends to ask her to call me.  She said Thursday, Nov. 29, when I last saw her that her father might be worried about her. Perhaps she is staying with him. That would be nice. Last year, Janie called her dad on one of the free phones at the Thanksgiving dinner Desley Brooks and Friends hosted. This year, Oakland School for the Arts served a meal Janie said. The residents whom I spoke to told me there was a different group serving a hot meal almost daily.

Smoky fire burns at Oakland homeless camp

Harry Harris/Bay Area News Group

A fire charred a car at a homeless encampment Saturday morning, Nov. 25, 2017.

By ANGELA RUGGIERO | aruggiero@bayareanewsgroup.com and
HARRY HARRIS | hharris@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: November 25, 2017 at 9:21 am | UPDATED: November 26, 2017 at 3:41 a

OAKLAND — A large plume of black smoke could be seen Saturday morning when part of a West Oakland homeless encampment  burned in a fire.

The fire began around 8:19 a.m. on the 2600 block of Wood Street at the homeless camp, which was several blocks long, fire officials said. The fire may have started after someone tried to cook in a nearby disabled van, which was gutted in the blaze, authorities said.

A dark cloud of smoke, and flames, could be seen from various points of the city, including from the MacArthur maze and Interstates 880 and 80. The fire was under control before 9 a.m.