Fire scorched 2 1/2 acres of dry brush early Tuesday in Monterey near Highway 1 in a place used by many of the city's homeless as a campground, authorities said.
While the area in the 500 block of Viejo Road is a haven for the homeless, there are many nearby homes, and residents called the fire department late Monday night to report heavy smoke in the vicinity. Heavy fog made it difficult to tell where the fire was coming from, authorities said.
"There were reports throughout the night that smoke was in the area," said Monterey Fire Chief Greg Glass. "But if you can't see where the fire is coming from, then you don't know what you've got. It could have been smoke coming from a chimney."
By dawn, smoke and some flames could be seen, and with the help of five Peninsula fire departments, the blaze was contained within an hour, Glass said.
Firefighters rushed to the location at 7:05 a.m. to battle the blaze, he said.
"It had burned a long time. We had to wait until the sun came up to spot it," Glass said.
Cypress Fire District, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Salinas Rural Fire and Presidio of Monterey Fire departments helped the Monterey crews get the blaze under control by 8 a.m. A total of 60 firefighters helped douse the blaze, Glass said.
Authorities speculate that a homeless person in the vicinity may have started the blaze accidentally.
"We believe it started in a homeless encampment in the area," said Glass. "There are several in that area."
The area contains a number of rural houses and there was the potential that if unchecked, the flames would have endangered many residents.
"It was very close to some structures. There are a lot of homes in the area," said Glass.
As of 4 p.m., a skeleton crew of firefighters was at the scene dousing hot spots.
The department is continuing its investigation into the cause of the fire, but, said Glass, it would be difficult to discover the exact cause.
"It could have been anything," Glass said.
"A grill and lighter, it would be hard to tell."
Distributed by the Associated Press
