‘Turf war’ blamed for Wednesday’s fire at Valley Springs homeless encampment
A blaze Wednesday night in Valley Springs is believed to have been fueled by a “turf war” at a homeless encampment, Calaveras Consolidated Fire District officials said.
The fire started about 10 p.m. at an encampment “deep in the oak woodlands” behind a gym between highways 26 and 12, according to the district.
Firefighters from both the district and Cal Fire responded to put out the blaze, which the district described as being in a challenging area for engines to access due to the terrain.
A size for the fire was not provided, though the district noted that it was confined to the encampment.
The district said the fire appeared to have started or been set due to an apparent turf war, but offered no further details in a Facebook post with photos from the scene.