Fire Breaks Out At Homeless Encampment On Venice Beach Boardwalk

VENICE, CA — A fire broke at a homeless encampment on the Venice Beach boardwalk early Thursday.

The fire was reported in the 300 block of Ocean Font Walk, near Rose Avenue, about 9:35 a.m.

Video from the scene shows flames engulfing a tent area and smoke billowing from the location.

Fire on Beach (#Venice, #LosAngeles) Live on @CitizenAppLA https://t.co/uPf0lIoOtv
— Double Deelite (@doubledeelite7) September 17, 2020

Several fires have broken out at homeless encampments in Venice, including several recent fires along Rose Avenue, near Penmar Golf Course. A fire broke out at a homeless encampment outside Penmar Golf Course in Venice Monday morning in the 900 block of Rose Avenue.

Video shows flames engulfing a camp with a large plume of smoke billowing above the trees and neighborhood. It's unclear how the fire started.

Local John Ryan shared an image of the fire with Patch. Ryan says this is the third fire at the location this month.

A petition this spring is pushing to prohibit camping along the area and instead convert it to an accessible walkway. The Rose-Penmar Beautification & Safety Project hopes to "move the jurisdiction of the public walk path on the South Side of Penmar golf course to the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department. Once the strip of land’s jurisdiction is changed, it becomes park land and illegal to camp upon. Our community has the right to live in a safe, violence & drug-free neighborhood. "

There's an ongoing debate about access to the area. The group hopes to the city will give the land back to Recreation & Parks to manage the walkway area.

Residents have shared how they feel about the recent fires on Twitter:

Hey Mayor! It’s Venice calling. This morning across from A Bridge House - the failed experiment. Yesterday the fire was in an Venice encampment on Rose/Penmar. #WhereIsMikeBonin @MikeBoninLA @Mike_Feuer pic.twitter.com/jdV9iszSNy
— MercyLovEvolve (@Arimari90801427) September 16, 2020

These naturally occurring forest fires in Venice Beach near massive homeless encampments have got to stop! pic.twitter.com/PewEARw3QU
— Josh Lekach (@JoshLekach) September 14, 2020

My inbox is flooded with emails from upset neighbors after a fire in the encampment that lines Rose Avenue outside the Penmar Golf Course in Venice.

"These people need to be housed now!" one writes. They've been warning about fire hazards for months. pic.twitter.com/ao5Z4qXmq8
— Kate Cagle (@KateCagle) September 14, 2020

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