WE’LL HAVE CONTINUING COVERAGE ON THIS STORY ALL NIGHT, BOTH ON AIR AND ONLINE. WELL, A LARGE BUILDING UP IN FLAMES IN ALBUQUERQUE THIS MORNING. FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THEY BELIEVE IT STARTED IN A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT. COREY HOWARD JOINS US LIVE FROM THAT SCENE WITH THE LATEST. DOUG AND SHELLEY, THAT FIRE HAPPENING HERE ON SIXTH STREET. AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME, YOU CAN SEE WHAT’S LEFT AFTER IT. NOW, WHILE THIS IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF AN ENCAMPMENT FIRE THAT GOT OUT OF CONTROL, ACCORDING TO FIREFIGHTERS, IT’S NOT THE ONLY ONE. THIS IS THE FIRE THAT ERUPTED OUTSIDE OF QUIRKY BOOKS JUST THREE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. ALBUQUERQUE FIRE AND RESCUE SAYING IT ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF AN ENCAMPMENT FIRE. THE MANAGER OF A NEIGHBORING BUSINESS, SHARING HIS THOUGHTS. IT’S JUST NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE. WE JUST WANT THIS WHOLE ENCAMPMENT GONE. IN ALL HONESTY, AND ANOTHER BUSINESS OWNER EXPRESSING SIMILAR CONCERNS. I’M EXTREMELY WORRIED. I KEEP I KEEP WAITING TO WAKE UP SOME MORNING AND SEE MY PLACE ON FIRE AND ALL MY INVENTORY BEING BURNED DOWN. HIS BUSINESS, LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM TODAY’S FIRE ON SIXTH STREET. THE FIRE SO LARGE. A-F-R SAID IT TOOK 13 UNITS TO PUT IT OUT. ON FACEBOOK, THE DEPARTMENT CALLING THE BUILDING A TOTAL LOSS AND SAYING THE CAUSE, LIKELY DUE TO AN EXTERIOR HOMELESS FIRE. WE’VE HAD THEM START FIRES RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR OFFICE DOOR. MORGAN WALKED US AROUND HIS PROPERTY, SHOWING US OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE BURNED. SO RIGHT HERE THEY STARTED A FIRE UP AGAINST MY BACK DOOR, WHICH IS WOOD COVERED WITH METAL. AND SO THE FIRE STARTED GOING UP THROUGH THE DOOR. AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS THAT WAS REALLY SCARY THAT MORNING. HE SAYS ENCAMPMENT FIRES HAVE ALMOST BECOME A NIGHTLY EVENT, AND THERE’S FEAR WE COULD SEE EVEN MORE BECAUSE OF THE COLDER TEMPERATURES IN THE FORECAST. WE REACHED OUT TO A-F-R AND ASKED, HOW DO THEY PLAN TO RESPOND? THE DEPARTMENT SAYING IN PART A-F-R CREWS WILL CONTINUE TO EXTINGUISH ANY OUTDOOR FIRE THAT IS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, NOT AUTHORIZED. VIOLATE CITY RULES OR CREATES A HAZARD. FOR. DID TELL ME AFTER PUTTING OUT AN ENCAMPMENT FIRE. THEY USUALLY OFFER TRANSPORTATION TO THE NEAREST SHELTER OR THEY GIVE OUT RESOURCES AS A JACKET AND BLANKETS TO HELP KEEP PEOPLE KEEP WARM. REPORTING IN ALBUQUERQUE COREY HOWARD KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. AND
Albuquerque building destroyed in fire linked to homeless encampment according to firefighters
A building on 6th Street in Albuquerque was declared a total loss after a fire broke out Wednesday morning, with Albuquerque Fire and Rescue (AFR) suggesting it likely started from a nearby homeless encampment.AFR responded to the fire around 3:30 a.m., and on social media, they indicated the fire was likely caused by an exterior homeless fire. William Morgan, owner of New Mexico Exhaust next door, said this is not an isolated incident. “They’ve tried to set my building on fire. Obviously, you see the one behind us, they cook that thing beyond belief. They’ve set my dumpster on fire multiple times,” Morgan said.Morgan showed the damage from previous fires, adding, “We had them start fires right outside our office door. They started a fire up against my back door, which is wood covered with metal, and so the fire started going up through the door, and that was really scary that morning.”With colder temperatures forecasted, there is concern about more encampment fires. AFR stated, “AFR crews will extinguish any outdoor fire that is on public property, not authorized, violates city rules, or creates a hazard.”Morgan acknowledged the challenges faced by the homeless, saying, “I realize they’re cold at night, but there’s places the city has provided for them to go.”AFR also mentioned that after extinguishing an encampment fire, they offer transportation to the nearest shelter and provide jackets and other resources to help people stay warm. People seeking overnight transportation can call 505-651-5515.
A building on 6th Street in Albuquerque was declared a total loss after a fire broke out Wednesday morning, with Albuquerque Fire and Rescue (AFR) suggesting it likely started from a nearby homeless encampment.
AFR responded to the fire around 3:30 a.m., and on social media, they indicated the fire was likely caused by an exterior homeless fire. William Morgan, owner of New Mexico Exhaust next door, said this is not an isolated incident. “They’ve tried to set my building on fire. Obviously, you see the one behind us, they cook that thing beyond belief. They’ve set my dumpster on fire multiple times,” Morgan said.
Morgan showed the damage from previous fires, adding, “We had them start fires right outside our office door. They started a fire up against my back door, which is wood covered with metal, and so the fire started going up through the door, and that was really scary that morning.”
With colder temperatures forecasted, there is concern about more encampment fires. AFR stated, “AFR crews will extinguish any outdoor fire that is on public property, not authorized, violates city rules, or creates a hazard.”
Morgan acknowledged the challenges faced by the homeless, saying, “I realize they’re cold at night, but there’s places the city has provided for them to go.”
AFR also mentioned that after extinguishing an encampment fire, they offer transportation to the nearest shelter and provide jackets and other resources to help people stay warm. People seeking overnight transportation can call 505-651-5515.
