Suspected homeless encampment fire closes Hwy. 101 ramps, lanes in Petaluma

Authorities closed the northbound Hwy. 101 on-ramp and off-ramp at Washington Street in Petaluma for nearly two hours Friday night, as a wind-borne fire ran through a draining ditch below the freeway.

The Petaluma Fire Department suspects that the blaze began around 8 p.m. in a homeless encampment behind the Ross Dress for Less store in the Plaza North Shopping Center, said shift battalion chief Mike Medeiro.

“Not sure how it started, but there were obvious signs of homeless activity and debris,” Medeiro said. “That’s what was on fire. The wind was pushing the fire into the drainage channel.”

The fire affected some CalTrans infrastructure. Inspectors from the transportation agency were on scene a little while later, according to Medeiro. “I don’t know what they found,” he said. “But we assume there was no major damage, since there was no further traffic control.”

In addition to the freeway ramps, law enforcement blocked the northbound merge lane and the No. 2 lane of Hwy. 101. Firefighters were on scene for 90 minutes to 2 hours, Medeiro said.

There were no witnesses at the site when first responders arrived, and no injuries reported.

You can reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @Skinny_Post.