Quick Response Stomps Out Another Fire North of Redway

Around 12:25 pm today, personnel from Redway Volunteer Fire Department and Garberville Fire Protection District were dispatched to a homeless encampment north of Redway after emergency dispatch received a call stating that an odor of smoke was detected in the area. According to Garberville Fire Protection District Chief, Tim Tietz, fire personnel were on scene within a minute of the call. The fire was quickly extinguished by the volunteer firefighters, allowing for incoming resources to be canceled.

However, a CAL FIRE peace officer continued to the scene to investigate the cause. KMUD News spoke with CAL FIRE Battalion Chief, Jeremy Ward, about the investigation. “So, this afternoon, we did have a report [of a fire. It] initially came in as a vegetation fire in the area north of Redway. A CAL FIRE peace officer did respond, and they found the fire involved about a one-foot diameter of some trash and garbage that was inside of a homeless encampment,” Ward told KMUD News. “There was no spread to the vegetation, and there was no one found to be at scene. There was some reports of someone leaving the area. Our officer did some follow up work, and will continue to do so to try and locate any responsible individuals.” Burning trash is illegal, Ward said, “We would like to ensure that people understand that trash is not an item that’s allowed to be burned, [it’s] prohibited by the Health and Safety Code and our local air district, and [doing so] subjects people to potential crimes and civil penalties,” Ward warned.

The area, north of Redway, has been plagued with fires originating within homeless encampments in the last few weeks, though residents say fires in the area have been an ongoing issue, and source of worry, for years. Though the cause of this latest fire remains under investigation, many homeless encampment fires are started from warming or cooking fires. Ward discussed the issue, including risks and tips for those that need to cook food while living outdoors, “Well, right now, we have seen an increase in fire activity, both statewide and locally, for a variety of different reasons and causes, but specific to …homeless or unsheltered folks, we try to reach out to them, and …have them reach out to other support services and try and use cook stoves, and [to] not have open fires to eat their food. It’s a safer option. And there are some resources out there [that] can support with that, because …you can’t be having a campfire on somebody else’s property without written permission.”

With rain possibly in the forecast, Ward issued a reminder to the public that burning remains suspended. “…As I said, there’s been a lot of activity throughout the unit for a lot of different reasons. We may see a little bit of moisture here this coming weekend, but right now, it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be enough that we can lift the burn suspension. We’ll see,” he said.

Though the homeless encampment fires have been a concern of Redway residents, Ward warned of the number-one cause of vegetation fires in the Humboldt-Del Norte Unit. “We want to remind folks that the burn suspension is still in effect, and that …outdoor debris burning for the purposes of reducing those wildland fuels, specifically homeowners who are burning their piles, has been a leading cause of vegetation fires in the unit for a lot of years. We see it over and over again. So, we just want to remind folks that no, they still cannot burn their piles, and that burn suspension remains in effect.”

For those living outdoors that are seeking support, the Redwoods Rural Health Center Community Support Program may be able to help. Visit the center at 76 Briceland Road in Redway, across from the car wash, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Program clients have access to their hospitality kitchen, food support, and fire blankets. If you’re not currently a client, you can sign up for assistance on site. For the greater Humboldt County area, dial 2-1-1 for local resources, or visit 211humboldt.org.