Residents fed up with fires in Sepulveda Basin, want solutions from city leaders

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Residents are growing concerned over recent fires and homeless encampments in the Sepulveda Basin, saying things have gotten out of control.

There have been more than 700 reported fires in the Basin in just the last year and a half, which means that's at least one call to the Los Angeles Fire Department every single day.

"It's scary what's happening," said Balboa Park resident Colette Stroffolino. "It's just like an everyday occurrence when there's fires every day across the street from your house and you see smoke. I'm not in a fire zone, but I am because of the homeless."

The fires are often started by the estimated 200 to 300 homeless people living in the Sepulveda Basin, and there are growing fears those fires will one day spread to the packed neighborhoods next door.

"They're actually living in the middle of the tinder box. There's a lot of brush and dry vegetation there, and there are hundreds of fires there every year," said Encino Neighborhood Council President Roy Nwaisser. "The problem is that these people are starting fires, and any one of these fires can explode and become a catastrophic devastating event."

The Encino Neighborhood Council held a public safety meeting Thursday to express those concerns to city officials, and they didn't hold back their frustration.

"I want to bring some calmness to the room because I could feel the tension all the way up here," LAFD Dep. Chief Jaime Moore said during Thursday's meeting when things got heated. "We need to get everybody to the table."

But the crowd groaned when the round table, at times, looked more like a circle of finger pointing, especially when asked who will remove the encampments and clear the homeless who aren't allowed to live in the basin.

The Los Angeles Police Department isn't responsible for removing the homeless. That would be park staff rangers, but park rangers are short staffed.

Long story short, the issue is complicated, but the work has begun. In the last three weeks, the city of Los Angeles cleared an acre of brush, but say there are about 599 additional acres they consider a big concern.

But it's progress, albeit slow, and proof the city is focused on this problem.

After Thursday's meeting, some even walked away hopeful their boisterous concerns are actually being heard.

"The more people that come out, like we did tonight, and make everyone aware in government and their neighbors... then the more chance we have of moving this issue," said Encino resident Chris Riedy.