LAFD: Over half of fires are related to homeless encampments

The figures came out on the same day that the department started a pilot program to deal with the problem in the Venice boardwalk area.

LOS ANGELES - Over half the fires that LA City firefighters respond to are somehow linked to homeless encampments.

They say it’s about 24 a day. Fire officials confirm the startling numbers on the same day they let FOX 11 ride along with them in Venice to show us a pilot program focusing on outreach to the people living on tents on the boardwalk.

With the explosion of tents, there’s also a lot more heaters and propane tanks used for cooking. Fire officials say they are not in the business of taking them away from the people, but helping them be safer about their usage while trying to steer those people to other services and housing.

It's going to be an uphill battle, that’s the sense we got from the homeless people we spoke to.

Councilmember Mike Bonin agrees and is a big supportive of this type of outreach. Bonin says he is asking the council for a feasibility study to look at temporary emergency shelters at LAX and some of the beach parking lots.

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