Advocates say homeless encampments in Sepulveda Basin raise fire risk

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Just a month after a firefighter was injured battling a blaze in the Sepulveda Basin, homeless encampments in the area continue to grow and advocates are saying the city needs to take action before more fires break out.

The basin includes a 200-acre wildlife reserve that the public has enjoyed for decades. But the Audubon Society, which monitors the reserve, says over the last several years homeless encampments have set up there, causing hazards.

"This area is not designed for people to live in," says Katheryn Barton with the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society. "There are not sanitary, adequate sanitary facilities."

The encampments are set up deep in the reserve, with propane tanks, cooking stoves and other equipment that could start fires, she says.

Last month a firefighter's ear was severed after an explosion erupted near a homeless encampment in the basin, and nearly a dozen others were also injured.

LAFD firefighter's ear severed in explosion during brush fire in Sepulveda Basin

A Los Angeles firefighter's ear has been surgically reattached after being severed in an explosion that occurred as he and his colleagues were responding to a brush fire near Encino.

And four years ago, a fire nearly wiped out the wildlife reserve. Barton says a homeless man started the fire and someone died as a result.

She and the rest of the volunteers with the society are frustrated with a lack of help from the city to safeguard the reserve from harm.

"We don't feel like the city is doing enough. We understand that this is an incredibly complex and troubling issue. It's often tragic but we should not let the complexity of the problem paralyze us into not finding solutions."

The city's Department of Recreation and Parks says it is continuously working on addressing issues related to homelessness and fire risk in the Sepulveda Basin and the reserve:

"The Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) remains focused on ensuring the safety, preservation, and enjoyment of public spaces, including the Sepulveda Basin. RAP diligently and continuously works in collaboration with Council District 6, the Los Angeles Fire Department, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, other agencies and stakeholders to address challenges related to homeless encampments, fire risk and unpermitted activities that occur in and around the Sepulveda Basin and the wildlife reserve."