One of the dangers of homeless encampments is fires. Tents and other potentially flammable materials are often crowded together and it doesn’t take much for a fire to get out of control.
In Seattle, this is a consistent problem.
A recent fire at a camp near a highway was the 60th one this year and it’s only February.
Encampment fire near I-5 in Seattle brings total to 60 in 2023 alone.
Let that sink in. 60 encampments so far this year.
Seattle is thriving. https://t.co/jPf7lJ7unb
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 25, 2023
From KTTH Radio:
Encampment fire near I-5 in Seattle brings total to 60 in 2023 alone
Another encampment burst into flames Friday morning near Interstate 5, adding to the 59 additional encampment fires recorded by the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) this month.
This fire occurred just a few days after the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) informed parents of John Stanford International School through a letter about its plans to clear the Ship Canal Bridge encampment, according to KOMO News.
The Ship Canal Bridge encampment— located across both sides of the I-5 express lanes near 42nd Street — has been documented as one of the most dangerous encampments in the region, with six reported fires over the last month.
The encampment houses up to 25 individuals, according to WSDOT officials.
“Let’s start at the premise of they’re breaking the law,” Rep. Andrew Barkis said on The Jason Rantz Show on AM 770 KTTH last week. “That seems to be the key point that we seem to forget here. They’re trespassing, they’re breaking the law. Let’s start there. And then we can wrap around every type of service under the sun to try to help the people, which we should.
“It is very clear that shelter, congregate shelter, any type of housing is what needs to be done to move the folks out of these encampments,” Barkis continued.
Here’s a video:
Another Seattle homeless fire on @wsdot property off I-5 freeway. The state refuses to sweep them unless there’s a free studio apartment for them. Seattle refuses to send in police to clear because the mayor doesn’t want to deal with it.
Seattle is thriving. pic.twitter.com/ciiAroE9Zx
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 24, 2023
It’s so disgraceful that there are tent communities in so many American cities.
It’s also obviously dangerous.