CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Charlottesville Fire Department extinguished a fire at the Free Bridge unhoused encampment in the city early Tuesday morning, Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis said.

No one was injured in the fire, Kochis told Cville Right Now.

A large fire was reported around 4:40 a.m., Kochis said, and the blaze, “started spreading pretty quickly.”

“Thankfully, our fire department was able to get it under control,” Kochis said.

The Free Bridge encampment is a campsite currently housing about 80 people, according to city officials.

Concerns about human waste being dumped in the Rivanna River, the danger of open fires and propane tanks, as well as fears regarding the impact of extreme temperatures on the residents there has sparked debate about the city moving the encampment dwellers to a city facility.

City Manager Sam Sanders is examining the possibility of opening the Holiday Drive property – which the city purchased to convert into a low-barrier shelter – and using it as a temporary shelter for those in the encampment.

Last week, the city installed two portable restrooms and a handwashing station near the encampment.

With record-high temperatures forecasted for this week and weekend, the health of those in the encampment is that much more of a critical issue.

“It’s an immediate public safety issue,” Kochis said.

A 57-year-old man was found dead inside a tent in the encampment on June 10, while another person died there in November.