Homeless-Related Fires Surge in Los Angeles, Stretching Firefighters to Their Limits
More than 12,000 homeless-related fires have burned in Los Angeles through Sept. 20, pushing the fire department to near-capacity.
Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 20, the Los Angeles Fire Department recorded 12,241 incidents classified as “Homeless or Encampment Related,” roughly 47 fires each day. Although this figure is about 6 % lower than the same period last year, it still strains resources, especially in Skid Row and along the 10 Freeway corridor where trash-fuelled blazes are common. Firefighter-paramedics Andrew Machado and Anthony Verdecia described confronting several fires within minutes during a street patrol.
Most of the fires stem from warming, cooking, or even ritual practices, with over 10,000 being trash fires. The city’s mayor, Karen Bass, has removed more than 140 encampments and vowed to end street homelessness, while Malibu’s city council approved an emergency declaration to speed up encampment removal in high-hazard zones. The trend reflects a steady rise in encampment fires since 2020, putting the city on track for similar annual totals in 2026.
Why it matters
The growing number of homeless-related fires threatens public safety and strains emergency services across Los Angeles.
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