Fire At San Jose Homeless Encampment Sends Smoke Billowing

SAN JOSE, CA — A fire that burned this afternoon in San Jose near Los Lagos Golf Course has been put out with no building damage or injuries, according to a San Jose Fire Department spokesman. The fire, which burned in a homeless encampment about 50 feet wide by 50 feet long off of Tuers Road and Thorndale Court, was reported at 1 p.m. Friday to the fire department, Capt. Daniel Vega said.

The first engine arrived 10 minutes later and saw billowing black smoke that came from trash and plastic burning and called for another engine to help with a possible structure fire, Vega said.

"The fire really did look worse than it was, giving firefighters the suspicion there may have been a building on fire, but there were no structures involved," Vega said.

The two engines fought the fire and completely contained it just minutes later, Vega said. No one was present in the homeless encampment when crews arrived.

The fire department does not know if the fire was caused intentionally or not, Vega said, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Vega said that he believed the fire department had cleaned up and left the scene as of 2:15 p.m.

By Bay City News Service

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