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ONE AREA BUSINESS IS RESPONDING. >> IT WAS ALL ALONG THE FENCELINE HERE INTO THE CORNER. MIKE: VAUGHN MEDFORD IS TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE THAT BROKE OUT HERE JUST THREE WEEKS AGO. YOU CAN SEE THE SCORCHED GRASS NOW BEHIND SACRAMENTO PIPEWORKS IN WHAT IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS RIGHT OUTSIDE THIS FENCE >> WE’RE VIRTUALLY SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY AN UNMITIGATE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT. AND IT DOES DEFINITELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS. MIKE: AND JUST LAST NIGHT, SOMEONE LIT A SERIES OF GRASSFIRES OUTSIDE THIS LIGHT RAIL STATION AT 39TH AND R STREET. >> ANYTIME THERE’S MULTIPLE SETS IT’S LABELED SUSPICIOUS WITH US. IT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS AND IT’S PROBABLE THAT IT WAS HUMAN CAUSED. MIKE: SACRAMENTO FIRE CAPTAIN KEITH WADE SAYS THAT FIRE IS NOW UNDER ACTIVE INVESTIGATION AND INSPECTORS ARE LOOKING AT REPORTS OF HOMELESS CAMPS NEARBY. AND JUST LAST FRIDAY, FIRST RESPONDERS WERE CALLED TO A FIRE BEHIND DOWNTOWN FORD. >> THERE WAS A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT IN BACK THAT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE POINT OF ORIGIN FOR A VEGETATION FIRE THAT ACTUALLY CAUSED SOME PROPERTY DAMAGE. MIKE: THE SPATE OF FIRES NEAR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS IS CAUSING LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES FOR FIREFIGHTERS. INCLUDING SAC METRO CREWS WHO CAPTURED THIS DRONE VIDEO OF A BLAZE LAST WEEK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AMERICAN RIVER. >> THE HARDEST PART IS GETTI OURSELVES THERE AND ALL OUR EQUIPMENT. SO WE TAKE HAND TOOLS IN BUT WE ALSO NEED WATER AND HOSES AND PUMPS. SO WE HAD TO USE SOME OF OUR RIVER RESCUE BOATS TO TRANSPOR PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT ACROSS THE RIVER TO THAT LOCATION. MIKE: BUT WITH HOMELESSNESS ON THE RISE IN SACRAMENTO, NOW MEASURED AT 5700 PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS, THE FIRES ARE A TRAGIC CONSEQUENCE OF URBAN LIFE ACCORDING TO HOMELESS ADVOCATES LIKE BOB ERNLENBUSCH. >> THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. YOU’VE GOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE WITH NOWHERE ELSE TO GO BECAUSE OF A LACK OF SHELTER. AND SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TRY TO COOK FOR THEMSELVES. MIKE: BACK HERE BEHIND PIPEWORKS WHERE THE GENERAL MANAGER HERE TELLS US THIS IS SECOND FIRE HERE IN TWO YEARS. AND WITH TEMPERATURES ON THE RISE, THERE ARE GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT THESE FIRES THAT POSE A DANGER TO EVERYONE

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A spate of fires across the Sacramento region is causing concern for businesses and firefighters. First responders fought a spike in fire activity over the weekend, knocking down flames near homeless encampments. Some Sacramento businesses are saying enough is enough. “It was all along the fence line here into the corner,” said Vaughn Medford, general manager of Sacramento Pipeworks. Medford was talking about a fire that broke out three weeks ago in the back lot behind his gym. The burnt grass was still visible Monday, in what is a continuing problem with homeless encampments right outside the gym's fence.“We're basically surrounded on three sides by an unmitigated homeless encampment, and it does definitely affect our business,” Medford said.On Sunday night, someone lit a series of grass fires outside the light rail station at 39th and R streets. “Anytime there's multiple sets (of fires), it's labeled suspicious with us,” Sacramento Fire Capt. Keith Wade said. “It looks suspicious, and it's probable that it was human caused.”Wade said the fire is now under active investigation, and inspectors are looking into reports of homeless camps nearby. On Friday, first responders were called to a fire behind Downtown Ford. “There was a homeless encampment in back that is believed to be the point of origin for the vegetation fire that actually caused some property damage,” Wade said.The breakout of fires near homeless encampments is causing logistical challenges for firefighters, including crews from the Sacramento Metro Fire Department. They captured drone video of a blaze last week on an island in the middle of the American River. “The hardest part is getting ourselves out there and all our equipment,” Sacramento Metro Fire Capt. Chris Vestal said. “We take hand tools in, but we also need water and hoses and pumps,” Vestal said. “We had to use some of our river rescue boats to transport personnel and equipment across the river to that location.”But with homelessness on the rise in Sacramento, now measured at 5,700 people living on the streets across the county, the fires are a tragic consequence of urban life, according to homeless advocate Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness. “This is going to be an issue,” Erlenbusch said. “You've got thousands of people outside with nowhere else to go because of a lack of shelter. And, some people are going to try to cook."With temperatures on the rise, there are growing concerns about urban fires that pose a danger for everyone.