San Diego County leaders are considering boosting encampment sweeps on days when the threat of wildfires is especially high after several local blazes left the region on edge.
The Board of Supervisors was unanimous Tuesday in ordering staffers to explore what it would take to quickly clear outdoor tent camps on so-called “red flag” days, when high winds and low humidity increase the likelihood that even small flames spread out of control.
A number of details remain unknown, including whether homeless people would be offered hotel rooms or transportation after a sweep. Staffers are supposed to report back on the county’s options in 90 days.
“We gotta do everything in our control to prevent fires,” said Supervisor Jim Desmond, who introduced the measure.
Homelessness countywide has grown almost every month since at least late 2021. There are nowhere near enough shelter beds for everybody asking — the county even scaled down and delayed one shelter proposal after blowback from neighbors — and more people have moved to isolated areas like riverbeds since multiple cities ed camping bans that increased penalties for sleeping outside. Frigid nights can in turn risk hypothermia, which has killed homeless residents in the area.
Furthermore, it’s difficult to say how many fires originate in camps.
Desmond said from the dais that “about 50% of the fires in California have been started by homeless in their encampments.” When asked for the source of that statistic, a spokesperson sent a link to a Los Angeles Times article with a more narrow focus. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that homelessness-related blazes had nearly tripled in recent years, and during one quarter of 2021 they ed for more than half of all fires the agency responded to, according to the news organization.
In the city of San Diego, the fire department does classify some blazes as “likely” beginning in encampments, but a definitive number can be elusive. Sometimes firefighters are unable to determine the cause of a blaze even after an extensive investigation.
Regardless, the threat posed by camp fires is undeniable.
Local officials have said at least three significant blazes this year originated in encampments, including fires in Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo and La Jolla that caused hundreds of people to flee their homes. Roaring flames are common sites in encampments, and homeless people in interviews have reported injuries and burns. Many residents who own homes throughout the region are increasingly concerned about the smoke they see billowing up from nearby canyons.
“This isn’t about whether you’re comionate about homeless or not,” said Supervisor Joel Anderson. “This is about whether someone has the right to burn down your neighborhood and put your life at risk.”
Anderson previously proposed a camping ban for the unincorporated parts of the county, and the supervisor said that proposal should be ready for a public hearing in March.
The two Republicans were ed Tuesday by their Democratic colleagues, who each said they were simultaneously worried about the threat of fires and the potential futility of pushing people around when there are few beds to offer.
“Even though this is no longer required of us legally, I think it’s a moral responsibility to have a place for people to go if we are removing them,” said Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last summer that municipalities may clear encampments regardless of whether shelter is available.
