In conversation, Rob Hazard typically radiates a can-do competence coupled with a gruff ebullience. These days, he’s depressed. Or so he says. “I can’t believe this is what we’ve devolved to,” Hazard exclaimed. As the County Fire Marshal, Hazard spends much of his time these days dealing with issues of homelessness. In the past year, the County Fire Department responded to 448 homeless-related incidents. Of those, 47 were fire related; the others involved emergency calls for service — drug overdoses and other medical emergencies.
With fire season now upon us and Governor Gavin Newsom having just officially declared a drought in 41 of California’s 58 counties, the issue of encampment fires is looming front and center. Mostly, Hazard described last year’s homeless fires as nuisances. But because many are started in the strip between the railroad tracks and the freeway, they pose the potential for real damage. The smoke, Hazard explained, can freak out motorists. This, in turn, can trigger multicar pileups.
To date, this hasn’t happened. Instead, one woman who lived in an encampment along Calle Real by the Maravilla retirement community got seriously burned. Mostly, Hazard described fighting these fires as “gross.” There are frequently an abundance of syringes, he said, and human excrement everywhere. “There’s an incredible amount of toxic waste. It’s like living in a landfill. It’s hideous,” he said. “It’s depressing.”