Hide Transcript Show Transcript

THEY ARE CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY. MARLEI: BURSTS OF FLAMES ERUPT FROM THIS HOMELESS ENCAMPMEN ALONG MORRISON CREEK. THICK, BLACK SMOKE BILLOWING OVER THE LEMON HILL NEIGHBORHOOD. ONE PERSON USES A JUG TO THROW WATER ON TO THE FLAMES AS ANOTHER MAN TOSSES DIRT WITH A SHOVEL. THE ROARING FIRE THREATENING THESE HOMES JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE. THOSE NEIGHBORS, COMING OUT TO HELP. SACRAMENTO FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVE , WORKING QUICKLY TO STOP THE FLAMES THAT SPREAD TO THE DRY FIELD LEADING TO THE HOUSES. ON THE GROUND, THIS IS THE BURN SCAR LEFT BEHIND, MANGLED METAL, CHARRED SHOPPING CARTS, HYPODERMIC NEEDLES POKING UP FROM THE ASHES. WE ARE STANDING IN THE BACKYARD OF ONE WOMAN’S HOUSE. THIS IS WHAT SHE WAKES UP TO EVERY MORNING. YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE TRASH, THE TENTS. THIS IS WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. THIS IS WHY SHE WAS SO CONCERNED THAT THOSE FLAMES WOULD SPREAD TO HER HOUSE. NEIGHBORS SAY THE AND CAM IT HAS GROWN FOR OVER A YEAR. >> WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE YOUNGER CHILDREN. ALL YOU HEAR IS CUSS WORDS AND ALL THIS DRUG USAGE. MARLEI: WITH THE IN ALONG THEIR BACKYARDS, NEIGHBORS SAY THEY CAN’T ESCAPE IT. >> WENT TO GOING TO STOP? MARLEI: RICHARD RICE AGREES. HE RAN TOWARDS THE FLAMES TO CHECK ON PEOPLE. >> I WENT TO LOOK INSIDE TO MAKE SURE HE WASN’T IN THERE. AFTER I SAW THAT HE WASN’T, I STARTED LOOKING FOR HOSES. MARLEI: HE SPRAYED DOWN HIS OWN DRIVEWAY WITH WATER IN CASE THE FIRE GOT TO HIS HOUSE. >> WE WERE SCARED THAT IT WOULD REACH OVER THERE. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEWHERE FOR THEM TO GO. MARLEI: THE COMMUNITY IS SHAKEN

Advertisement Fire spreads from south Sacramento homeless encampment to field Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A fire broke out at a homeless encampment in south Sacramento on Tuesday evening. >> Download the KCRA 3 app The large flames and billowing smoke threatened houses directly on the other side of a fence next to the encampment. The fire ignited near Morrison Creek, southeast of 65th Street Expressway and Lemon Hill Avenue. “That guy had a full-on house built up against the fence right there. The whole thing was on fire,” said resident Richard Rice.People who live in houses along Lemon Hill Avenue said they are dealing with fires, car break-ins and drug usage as the homeless encampment along the creek grew over the past year. Resident Brianna Zumbado said Tuesday’s fire is the most recent example of why she is concerned for her safety.“We have families that have younger children and all you hear is cuss words and you hear and smell all this drug usage back there. It’s insane,” she said.The homeless encampment sits directly on the other side of people’s backyards, so neighbors said they cannot escape it.“What else are we going to do? When is it going to stop?” asked Zumbado. “When are they gonna actually come and help take these people out, or at least get them some help, the help that they need?”Rice agrees, which is why he said he ran toward the flames to check on people.“I ran through there to look inside of his hut to make sure he wasn’t in there,” Rice said. “And after I seen he wasn’t in there, I just started looking for hoses to put it out.”Rice said he and his neighbors sprayed down their own driveways with water in case the fire spread to their homes.“We were actually scared that it would reach over there,” he said. “There needs to be somewhere for them to go.”No one was injured in the fire, according to the Sacramento Fire Department. However, Battalion Chief Patrick Costamagna said his crews had to take extra precautions when responding to this fire. “We ran into a lot of hypodermic needles,” he said. “It’s kind of a no-go. We wear our protective clothing -- steel-toed boots, our fire turnouts -- so that gives us some level of protection but absolutely not to a needle. So, we just have to kind of pull back when we’re doing our overhaul procedures.”Costamagna said the homeless population is increasing, so their call volume to respond to fires at homeless encampments is also growing. When responding to this call, he said firefighters also found homeless people dug into part of the levee along Morrison Creek. He said they reported the trench to the Department of Utilities.