"Fresno Fire Department Chief Billy Alcorn told the Fresno Bee that some unhoused individuals may have been living in the underground area, which is about 40 feet below the overpass. "There was debris, blankets, property, almost livable conditions," Alcorn told the news outlet."
Firefighters were called before 8:30 a.m. to smoke rising from a utility vault beneath a bridge overpass near H and Fresno streets in downtown Fresno. Construction workers reported that two unhoused individuals entered the vault earlier that day. The operation was described as unique and hazardous, requiring multiple teams including search and rescue and hazardous materials crews. PG&E cut power to the surrounding area because the vault served as a major electrical distribution circuit. After power was shut off, crews accessed a hatch, extinguished the fire, and found two people inside. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Fire crews and law enforcement investigated the cause of the fire and worked to identify the victims. The vault was about 40 feet below the overpass and appeared to contain debris, blankets, and property consistent with possible living conditions.
Read at SFGATE
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