‘The usual’ location: Fires plague Berkeley homeless camp
Newly obtained records detail fire calls in the Harrison Street corridor. Encampment residents weigh in.
By Vicente Vera
About a dozen tents have caught fire in Berkeley's Harrison Street homeless encampment since the start of the year, according to new reports.
Documents obtained by The Berkeley Scanner detailed six calls since January involving tents engulfed in flames.
As of mid-August, the Berkeley Fire Department had tallied 26 calls to the encampment, said Deputy Fire Chief Keith May in response to a Scanner inquiry. Five were due to cooking fires, with others involving burning debris and unattended warming fires.
"Our concern is not simply the number of calls, but the conditions surrounding these incidents and the potential for a relatively small fire to extend beyond its original footprint," he said.
An "obstructed fire hydrant" in the area has limited the water supply, he added.
Officials declared the encampment a fire hazard and public nuisance following a July 10 fire that threatened the post office on Harrison Street between Seventh and Eighth streets, the city said.
A city fire marshal cited the encampment's "unsafe structures, unsafe storage of propane containers, accumulation of combustible materials, and accumulations in close proximity to existing property lines" in a July 27 letter to homeless residents.
In January, firefighters encountered 20- to 30-foot flames as several tents and rubbish burned near the post office, threatening nearby trees and a brick fence. Fire crews used foam to help extinguish the blaze.
In February, authorities said BBQ grill use was responsible for a fire that spread to two or three tents, with proximity being a major factor.
In a March incident, a fire that destroyed two tents broke out at 3:30 a.m. It spread to a nearby tree, with flames reaching power lines. A witness reported "popping sounds."
On July 10, witnesses reported a tent and car on fire, with flames close to the building, as people fled the post office amid the sound of explosions. A fire captain wrote that it occurred "at the usual 8th and Harrison location."
No injuries were reported in the six calls reviewed by The Scanner.
"I can see why people think it's the only answer"
For months, legal disputes have kept the city from closing the encampment.
On a recent visit, joggers and dog walkers passed the encampment as debris and makeshift structures spilled into the street.
Longtime Harrison Street corridor resident Elester Shelton II said people in the area have sometimes set tents on fire to settle scores.
Shelton, who has lived with chronic illness for decades, said life on the streets is stressful enough without worrying about fires.
"I never set shit on fire … but it's understandable why some people take it there. I can see why people think it's the only answer," Shelton told The Berkeley Scanner.
He said it felt like the city only paid attention "because we're in a business community."
Last month, Berkeley police arrested 60-year-old Patrick Ford on suspicion of setting encampment debris on fire in anger over a stolen scooter, authorities have said. He was charged with felony arson and misdemeanor domestic violence.
Sharif, who also lives in the Harrison Street corridor, said the fires threaten the safety of both housed and unhoused residents and don't get as much law enforcement attention as they deserve.
The Marine Corps veteran was part of the longstanding encampment at People's Park before UC Berkeley closed it to build housing.
When that camp was disbanded, many of its residents scattered to other parts of the city, including the Harrison Street corridor.
"I've been on the ground and helped put those fires out, and also reported the individuals to the police. Frankly, [police have] done nothing," he said. "There have been a couple of other incidents that involved fireworks."
Quinton, another encampment resident who gave only his first name, lives with his dog right off the post office vehicle entrance. Fire reports indicate several fires nearby, but he said he has no plans to move.
Stuffed animals hung by ropes along the post office wall behind his tent site.
"It's amazing how fast some structures, like the ones around here, will go up in flames," he said. "But there haven't been a lot of fires here near me, as far as I know."
Read the reports: Tent fires in the Harrison Street corridor
Vicente Vera is a freelance reporter based in the Bay Area who graduated from the San Jose State University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He covers politics, community and culture.
