Cooking fire destroys homeless encampments, outbuildings near Merced Marketplace

MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A cooking occurrence on the BNSF tracks adjacent Merced Marketplace that aboriginal turned into a writer occurrence destroyed stateless encampments connected the tracks, respective outbuildings and besides threatened homes connected Monday afternoon.

Firefighters responded to 1379 W. North Bear Creek Dr. for a writer occurrence connected Monday astatine astir 1:20 p.m.

Upon arrival, crews tackled the fire, which had already burned 2 acres. Crews were capable to support 2 homes on Bear Creek Drive that were being threatened by the flames.

According to firefighters, a stateless pistillate camping on the BNSF tracks reported that her "neighbor" had concisely near a cooking occurrence unattended. This caused the writer tract to drawback connected fire.

The occurrence ended up destroying up to 4 outbuildings and 4 stateless encampments on the tracks.