Redwood City Begins Clearing Encampment After Fire, Newsom Visits

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Redwood City has begun clearing a homeless encampment where a fire broke out earlier this month that damaged cars and property.

Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the site on Wednesday as crews worked. The recent encampment fire at Woodside Road and El Camino Real, which is on CalTrans property, resulted in the city council calling on CalTrans to address safety issues around encampments.

Carlos Nedd, a landlord who owns several units adjacent to the longtime encampment, said to Patch last week that the Feb. 13 fire was the sixth fire he’s seen on the property in the 12 years he's been renting out units to tenants. He said he's spent $60,000 on repairs.

Related: Redwood City Council Calls For Action On Homeless Encampment

The cause of the fire could not be determined following an investigation, but the fire involved tents, mattresses and other personal property, according to the city. The fence of an adjacent four-plex residential property and two cars sustained damage.

Redwood City said in a news release last week that it has been coordinating with CalTrans on many encampments located on CalTrans property, including this one. Civilian homeless outreach workers have also visited the encampment regularly to provide resources to unhoused individuals, the city claimed.