A wildfire that likely started at a homeless encampment destroyed about eight acres of land in Virginia Beach on Saturday morning.
Twenty one firefighters battled the fire, which broke out at Owl’s Creek Golf Course around 3:30 a.m., according to the Virginia Beach Fire Department.
The once-active golf course closed in 2016, and the property is owned by the city of Virginia Beach, said Battalion Chief William Skelaney.
Three fire engines, three brush trucks and a rehab vehicle stayed on the scene from 3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Fire Department investigators were on the scene of the fire into the late morning.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Skelaney said it likely started at a homeless encampment.
At the scene there was a large area with branches and logs that could be used for a fire, along with a burnt blue cooler and a stray can of Steel Reserve.
Mayfield can be reached at [email protected].
