2 dogs perish in fire that consumes 3 RVs in Oakland lot, separate fire delays traffic

Oakland vehicle fire causing delays on MacArthur Maze

An apparent vehicle fire in Oakland is causing large plumes of smoke and traffic delays on the Macarthur Maze Thursday afternoon.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Two major fires in West Oakland created havoc on Thursday afternoon. In one, three RVs burned in a fire at a homeless encampment while a separate vehicle fire brought traffic to a standstill in the MacArthur Maze at the start of rush hour.

Oakland Fire Department responded to the scene of the RV fires at a lot on 34th and Wood streets. The fire department tweeted about the fire at around 4 p.m.

No people were injured, but two dogs were found dead inside one of the RVs, officials said. Five people were displaced and the cause of the fire appears to have been accidental, the department said.

Investigators said a person in one of the RVs was burning material when it quickly got out of control and spread to the other RVs.

About 20 firefighters responded to where the 17 RVs are located.

The RVs are lined up in a lot managed by the city of Oakland and Operation Dignity, which helps house homeless persons.

The American Red Cross was notified so it could help the displaced residents

Wood Street was closed between 19th and 34th.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a vehicle fire on surface streets caused a large plume of smoke and traffic delays on the MacArthur Maze. A vehicle accident happened at Highway 24 and Broadway about an hour before the RV fires broke out.

KTVU's traffic camera saw thick smoke just after 4 p.m.

If you're driving into San Francisco, you may have seen the plumes of black smoke as you approached the Bay Bridge. Traffic was at a standstill in some areas as fire crews responded.

Bay City News contributed to this story.