13-year-old saves Hayward neighbors from fire; residents say problem stems from nearby encampment

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) — This fire season, an East Bay community is fed up after dealing with another kind of fire emergency, stemming from a nearby homeless encampment. Thanks to a 13-year-old girl, residents of the Grand Terrace townhomes were spared from a much worse fate. However, neighbors believe unless city leaders take action, it’ll only be a matter of time before something much worse happens.

“It was hellish. It was terrifying,” says Thao Tran, who can be seen on surveillance video attempting to use a garden hose to put out a fast-moving fire outside his Hayward townhome early Sunday morning.

In the video, you can hear him scream “get out!” and his two-year-old baby crying as she is whisked away into a car to evacuate.

“Things were starting to explode these trees were catching on fire, 100foot flames were coming up,” he says.

Tran says had it not been for his 13-year-old daughter Alyssa yelling out for help, this situation could have been much worse.

“That girl is one of the bravest girls I know. Another 10 minutes, if she didn’t trust her gut instincts – this whole community would have been burnt. We would have been trapped,” he says.

MORE: Several Bay Area cities, counties receiving state money to combat homelessness

Tran says this fire is the third in two months right next to the Grand Terrace community. The fires all broke out against a sound wall that separates the homes from railroad tracks and a homeless encampment.

The HOA president says they have complained about this problem for years. This is illustrated by a 2018 email sent to multiple Hayward city leaders, including the mayor.

“It has been a never-ending struggle just getting help,” says Richard Brunkel. “We’re seeing crime ramp up. We’ve had instances where people behind the wall are stealing our electricity. They’re feeding extension cords over the wall. They’re also doing that to our water,” he continues.

While he and Tran have compassion for the homeless, they both want to see changes to keep them and the neighbors safe.

ABC7 News reached out to the City of Hayward. A spokesperson responded in part, saying the encampments are on Union Pacific railroad property and “…gaining legal access to clean up encampments presents unique challenges, requiring the acknowledgment and cooperation of Union Pacific.”

We then called Union Pacific who sent a statement confirming the fire itself. A spokesperson told me over the phone they’re always working with cities and local officials to clean up encampments.

MORE: Unhoused Berkeley fire victim with Stage 4 cancer gets temporary home

For those in this community, it’s a familiar story – with very little action.

“They clean it up every four to six months and within two weeks, there are new residents that come in. It’s ongoing,” sighs Tran.

Brunkel agrees, “It’s is a never-ending cycle – no from the city perspective from the railroad perspective… from everybody else – and we are at our wits end.”

As for Tran, a lifelong and loyal Hayward resident, this fire has been traumatic.

“I can’t close my eyes without seeing the flames and the heat.”

He’d like to move. He has this message to anyone with the power to make change.

“The community is going to hurt in a catastrophic way. We need to get ahead of it before that point,” he says.