Oakland homeless encampments have seen a spike in blazes. Firefighters are worried
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Pete Stathakos of the Oakland Fire Department looks at a torched RV at the Wood Street encampment on Monday, April 26, 2021 in Oakland, California. There have been over 40 fire related incidents at homeless encampments in 2021.Photos by Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
As Eric Owens watched flames destroy his friend’s RV in East Oakland in early May, he was reminded of his own loss. Just seven months ago, Owens lost his RV his home for two years to a fire.
The 59-year-old Oakland resident lost photos of his family, generators to keep him warm, clothes and a tent. Now, he lives in a dilapidated silver BMW.
For the past year, KALW has focused in on East Oakland. We've hosted live community events and took our collaborative journalism project Hey Area there to