Here is a statistic that is as shocking as it is dangerous: Los Angeles averages 47 homeless fires every day. That’s 47 “homeless or encampment related” fires every day. This is the result of the city’s failure to curb the homelessness that you see in so much of the city. Added to the recent reports of flea-borne typhus (the Department of Public Health won’t say if they were homeless-related), it is clear that the chronic problem of people living on the streets impacts the health of everyone. But at least someone is doing something to raise awareness of the danger.
Last week, ABC7 debuted an interactive map that tracks HEP-Person Experiencing Homelessness–Fires. It is actual, real data from the Los Angeles Fire Department, and it show how may homeless fires are called-in and from where. You can areas to avoid and be better informed about what is going on in and near your neighborhood.
Try the map by clicking here.
