This morning a fire along the bluffs below Via de las Olas was ignited at a homeless encampment, and grew to burn 2.5 acres of Palisades hillsides. LAFD was immediately responsive, and could be seen and heard in the sky and on the ground battling the blaze until it was quickly contained, without incurring any damage to person or private property.
We have been in touch with LAFD since the very early hours of the morning, and thank them for their efforts. I had reached out to [Battalion Chief] Antoine McKnight and [Asst.] Chief [Patrick] Butler yesterday, Nov. 7, to come together to craft a plan for the enforcement of newly installed “Restricted Entry, High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.” The events of this morning serve to make that call for action even more urgent.
New LAFD Signage is scheduled to be installed at the Via De La Paz and Swarthmore Bluffs this Thursday, Nov. 12. A meeting has been called by [Asst. Chief] Butler, along with city stakeholders to craft a strategy to maintain enforcement of those areas where signs are being posted. The objective of the meeting is to continue to secure our bluffs and keep this community safe from the threat of fire.
I have been in touch by phone and email, with Councilman Bonin and Chief Butler all morning, and have assurances from both that the PPTFH will be included in the meeting convened by CD 11 to gather the City family of stakeholders to address the fire threat that is posed to the Palisades. These threats are not exclusively from homeless individuals or their encampments. But to the extent that the issue of local homelessness was involved in this morning’s fire, and may be again going forward, I have made clear to LAFD West and CD11 that I expect PPTFH to have a seat at the table, and to be part of any discussion for solutions and a strategy of enforcement going forward.
I have been assured at the highest levels that enforcement will be the focus of upcoming efforts, as well as a strategy to maintain vigilance over our bluffs. I have also been assured that the PPTFH will be at the table to discuss these plans and help craft the strategy to maintain the safety of the Palisades. As the Chair of the PPTFH, I will report back to this community and keep everyone abreast of developments.
Please be assured that we are being proactive, and working with both city and private entities to ensure the safety and security of Palisadians, to the extent that it applies to the work of the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness (PPTFH).
Maryam Zar
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