The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to advance a proposal to clear homeless encampments when fire danger is high.
Authored by Supervisor Jim Desmond, the proposal directs county staff to prioritize moving people out of high fire-risk areas, look at housing options for displaced people if their encampment is cleared and work with other jurisdictions on similar measures.
Staffers were directed to present their recommendations in 90 days.
“This proactive approach aims to protect lives, mitigate fire risks and support vulnerable populations by ensuring they are not left in harm’s way during dangerous fire conditions,” Desmond’s office said in a statement.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Desmond claimed that more than 50% of fires in California were started by homeless individuals, though some members of the public challenged the accuracy of that figure.
Desmond pointed to recent fires in La Jolla, Mission Valley and Oceanside, warning that they could have threatened schools and homes if Santa Ana winds had been present.
Open flames being used for cooking or warmth without fire prevention measures poses a hazard that threatens the entire county, he added.
Desmond said that there are numerous logistical issues to still work out for any future policy, and noted one big reason for homelessness is that people can refuse help, even though resources are available.
“We have to do everything in our control to prevent fires,” he said. Supervisor Joel Anderson said the issue was a major concern for him as a resident of a red-flag fire zone.
Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said she appreciated how the suggested policy focused on emergency fire warnings, but that it was also important to have a place for people to go if removed from an encampment.
“There’s nothing that will come before me that if it doesn’t have that, at least as part of the conversation, that I will support,” Montgomery Steppe said.
Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer credited Anderson and Desmond for their work on homeless encampments, but said it was important not to duplicate those efforts.
Desmond’s proposal, which would apply to times when red flag, or high fire, warnings, were in effect, won praise from several residents and officials.
Chief Joe Napier of the Valley Center Fire Protection District said that the initiative could be effective with coordination between the county Sheriff’s Office, fire department and code compliance officials.
A policy would let public safety officials educate people in encampments on evacuation mechanisms and apps, Napier said.
“We believe it’s a holistic community approach to problems like this that can be attained through cooperative measures,” he added.
After the fires in Los Angeles, “I really don’t see who would not be for this,” said one woman who said she had to be evacuated during the 2003 Cedar Fire.
Some opponents cited the need to help homeless people. John Brady of Lived Experience Advisers said he and his team have struggled with the issue.
Regional anti-camping bans have “pushed everybody into ever-more dangerous regions,” he said. “That’s all we’ve done.”
Brady said there are thousands of mobile homes and travel trailers in the county that could be made available to those needing shelter.
Jessie Schmitte of Alliance San Diego said an encampment ban only hides the growing homeless crisis, which calls for expanded housing or shelter options.
“You can’t talk about one without having solutions for the other,” he said. “San Diego should lead with compassion, not cruelty.”
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