In Atascadero yesterday morning, a fire broke out at a homeless encampment under the east end of the highway 41 bridge over the Salinas river. The CHP closed the bridge for about about an hour so that Caltrans inspectors could ascertain if the homeless fire compromised the integrity of the bridge.
The fire under the bridge was started around 9:00 yesterday morning. It burned the belongings of homeless people camping under the bridge. The fire did not spread to nearby vegetation.
After a thorough inspection of the bridge by Caltrans officials, the inspectors determined there was no structural damage. Highway 41 reopened over the Salinas river before noon yesterday.
