Fire at Fremont homeless encampment burns quarter acre, delays rail

Fire crews in Fremont put out a fire that started in a homeless encampment and burned about a quarter-acre of vegetation Sunday morning, causing some delays to rail lines, officials said.

No injuries were reported due to the fire.

The fire was first reported just after 9:45 a.m. off Overacker Avenue not far from the intersection with Mowry Avenue, according to Fremont Fire Battalion Chief Chris Harper.

Fremont Fire Dept. units are at the scene of a 1/4 acre vegetation fire near the RR tracks on Mowry Ave. Overacker Ave. The fire has been contained and there are no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/7v1G42glSa

— Fremont Fire Dept. (@FremontFire) June 30, 2019

The blaze appears to have started with some debris at a homeless encampment near the intersection of some railroad spurs, and burned tall grass and vegetation between the rail lines and Mission Boulevard to the east.

No structures were threatened by the fire, Harper said.

Harper said 17 firefighters and personnel were sent to control the blaze, which caused some freight and passenger rail delays, but rail lines were reopened by about 11:30 a.m.

Though the fire was controlled by the late morning, firefighters stayed on scene until about 2 p.m. to monitor and clean up the site.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Harper said.