Between January 1 and September 20, Los Angeles recorded 12,241 fires linked to homeless encampments. Although this represents a 6% decrease from the same period last year,the city still faces a daily average of 47 such incidents.
The doubling of fire incidents since 2020
The current fire volume represents a massive escalation compared to the 7,165 fires logged by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 2020. According to the LAFD data, the city has seen a consistent upward trend over the last five years, with each subsequent year seeing more encampment-related fires than the last.
This trend suggests that the intersection of homelessness and fire risk is becoming a permanent, growing fixture of the Southern California landscape. While the recent 6% dip might offer a momentary reprieve, the sheer volume of incidents indicates that the underlying drivers of these fires remain unaddressed.
The 10,000 trash fires driving the daily average
The vast majority of these incidents are not large-scale wildfires, but rather smaller, frequent blazes. As reported by the ABC Data Team, more than 10,000 of this year's homeless-related fires were classified as trash fires. The remaining incidents included 189 vegetation or brush fires , 173 vehicle fires, and 153 structure fires.
These smaller fires pose a significant threat to urban infrastructure and resident safety. For example, a rubbish fire in May forced the shutdown of a portion of the 110 Freeway in San Pedro, and a fire in Larchmont reportedly leveled the home of resident Jonathan Galicia, resulting in the loss of his pets.
Skid Row and the 10 Freeway fire corridors
Fire activity is not evenly distributed across the city, with specific hotspots emerging in high-density areas.. Data analyzed by 7 On Your Side Investigates and the ABC Data Team identifies the 10 Freeway corridor and Skid Row as primary zones of concern. In one small section of Skid Row alone, 77 fires were recorded this year.
Firefighter-paramedics Andrew Machado and Anthony Verdecia, members of an LAFD Rapid Response Team, have described the relentless nature of these calls. They reported encountering multiple fires within minutes of beginning street patrols, often involving burning buckets or shopping carts. Verdecia noted that crews frequently handle between five and 15 rubbish fires in a single day.
Malibu's emergency vs . the lifting of Hollywood camping bans
A stark policy divide has emerged between different municipalities in the Los Angeles area. In Malibu, Mayor Bruce Silverstein issued a declaration of local emergency on August 10 after Live Fuel Moisture levels in the Santa Monica Mountains fell below the 65% hazardous threshold. This declaration allows the city to expedite the removal of encampments in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones to mitigate wildfire risks.
Conversely, the Los Angeles City Council recently voted to lift camping bans at 12 different sites, including areas in Hollywood, Echo Park, and Silver Lake. This creates a significant tension in regional management : will the relaxation of camping bans in central Los Angeles lead to a spike in the very fires that the LAFD is currently struggling to contain?
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