Activists, residents worry that worsening homeless fires threaten Sepulveda Basin

During her recent field trip in the Sepulveda Basin, Pat Bates encountered a fire consuming dry grass and sending dark plumes in the air. Bates and her friend who accompanied her on the walk successfully put out the blaze. But since the incident, Bates has been hesitant about going back to the sprawling fire-prone open space.

Bates, treasurer at the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society, a nonprofit that works to protect bird habitat, came across two-story tents, construction materials, and propane tanks popping up in an area known as a wildlife reserve.

In recent years, the Sepulveda Basin has become the site of fires and also home to homeless encampments. Last year the Audobon group estimated that about 150 people were living in the Sepulveda Basin.

She worries that the homeless encampments could potentially trigger a serious blaze in the fire-prone area.

“We are very frustrated,” Bates said. “Why is anybody allowed to bring construction materials in and live there?”

Councilmember Imelda Padilla, who represents Council District 6, said in a statement she shared concerns with the Audubon Society about the recent fire that broke out in the Sepulveda Basin.

“Ensuring the safety of everyone, including firefighters, first responders, LAUSD students, staff, and the community is a top priority for me and I am relieved that all the injured firefighters were able to recover,” according to her statement.

Padilla added: “I am exploring different solutions and actively working with different departments to address the issue of encampments and to reduce fire hazards in the area. Additionally, I am dedicated to making the Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan a reality, transforming it into a safe, thriving ecological and recreational hub for our community and future generations.”

Bates and others from the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society are urging elected officials to enforce the rules in the no-camping zone and keep people from setting up propane tanks and other materials that can set off a fire.

The area is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which leases large portions of the basin to the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks. Representatives with the department didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

In late June, a fire that involved brush and manmade materials started in the Sepulveda Basin. As firefighters began putting out the blaze amid triple-digit temperatures, something exploded, sending a firefighter to the ground who suffered a head trauma, according to officials. One firefighter had his ear severed and later re-attached at the hospital. Ten other firefighters were also injured and transported to a hospital for assessment.

LAFD spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz said the fire department was still investigating the cause of the explosion. She added that LAFD and LAPD investigators found suspicious devices.

“We don’t have confirmation at this point on what those are,” she said, adding that all 11 firefighters injured during the June 24 fire have been released from the hospital.

It’s not the first time fire has erupted in Sepulveda Basin.

In 2020, a fire broke out and quickly spread to six acres, forcing the shutdown of the 405 Freeway. It took 100 firefighters to bring the blaze under control. It was not clear what caused the fire. Once firefighters extinguished the blaze, they discovered a body in the Sepulveda Basin. In 2019, a brush fire started in the Basin amid red-flag fire conditions, consuming nearly 60 acres and sending a thick plume of dark smoke into the air.

Rob Glushon, president of Encino Property Owners Association and Encino resident, said encampments that pose fire hazards should be cleared. He said he was concerned about 11 firefighters injured during the late June fire at the Basin.

“The city knows that people camp out there,” Glushon said. “They should know that there are propane tanks or other dangerous materials that are capable of exploding. It’s important that city officials take action in places with dangerous fire hazards and risks.”

Bates said she worries that hiking in the Basin has become dangerous.

“If you walk through where the encampments have been, if there’s propane tanks everywhere, you don’t know what’s there,” she said.

She said some people bring construction materials to build two-story structures.

Audubon Society President Katheryn Barton was recently on a trip with a group of LAUSD students when they encountered a man with machetes, screaming and yelling.

“While they haven’t directly threatened us, it’s unnerving when you are walking around with a group of 10 to 12 third-graders,” Barton said.

The society sponsors outdoor programming for students from LAUSD schools willing to learn about wildlife. But bringing the children into the area dotted with encampments becomes worrisome.

“Our main concern is public safety,” Barton said, adding that the fire danger is so extreme in the Basin during hot summer months. “There’s so much weedy growth and so many encampments.”