“This morning, a brush fire spread through the canyons near Via del las Olas in Pacific Palisades. I’m very grateful for the quick response of the first responders at the Los Angeles Fire Department and for their exemplary and professional work knocking down this brush fire before it claimed any lives or property. Your safety is a paramount concern of mine, and I have made fire safety in Palisades one of my top priorities since taking office, securing an augmented ambulance detail which provides more resources to the Palisades, and fighting to restore Engine Company 69 so that Fire Station 69 will [be] more fully staffed on a permanent basis.
“I take this morning’s incident extremely seriously and have been in contact with LAFD leaders since early this morning. This fire was started by people who were illegally camping in the canyon. Just a few weeks ago, we began installing no camping/no trespassing signage that allows enforcement in the area. This week, LAFD Deputy Chief Pat Butler and l will convene a meeting of LAFD, local law enforcement, park rangers and private security to develop a system to patrol and keep these areas clear.
“Especially in communities like the Pacific Palisades, the risk of brush fire is incredibly severe, and we must take all necessary steps to protect lives.
“At the same time, it is important to note and commend the work of the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness, which not only took the lead in installing the signage, but is also taking significant proactive steps, such as fundraising to hire the Ocean Park Community Center to do outreach and provide services and a pathway to people who are homeless in Pacific Palisades.”
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