Firefighters made a surprising discovery after responding to an unusual report of smoke billowing from a fire inside a freeway overpass in Sacramento.
It appears someone had been living in the cramped crawlspace inside the Highway 160 overpass.
Photos posted by the Sacramento Fire Department show a twin-size mattress and other items being removed from the crawlspace. No one was in the space when firefighters arrived Sunday morning and put out the flames.
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“A person had removed an access plate underneath the bridge and was living within the roadway,” firefighters said.
The access panel is intended for use by maintenance workers. The panel is located at the top of an embankment under the bridge near downtown Sacramento.
Firefighters also found an end table and personal items, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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It was not immediately clear how long the person had been living there.
A department spokesman told the Times a large fire could severely damage the bridge.
No injuries were reported.
