Fires emanating from San Jose’s homeless encampments far outnumber those coming from homes and businesses, leaving nearby residents scared for their safety and health.
Over the past year thousands of non-structural fires have been sparked by homeless camps, causing toxic fumes and safety problems for people and property. Jerry May, president of the San Jose Fire Fighters International Association of Fire Fighters Local 230, said the situation is only getting worse.
“When you see what’s happening in LA, you’re talking about like a toxic soup that people are essentially breathing in, and obviously firefighters are exposed to that,” May told San José Spotlight. “So not only is it a high cost to the citizens, but materials like the ones burned at encampment fires also expose us and increase our risk of cancer.”
The data May shared with San José Spotlight is staggering. There were 4,231 total non-structure fires in 2024 — more than 10 times the number of residential fires at 360 and close to nine and a half times the number of business and building fires at 491. He said though the data can be vague about the type of fires, May said almost all of the recorded non-structure fires came from homeless residents and encampments.
Ken Schneebeli, who lives near Coyote Creek, said he has been raising concerns to city officials about potential toxic smoke from nearby encampment fires. Firefighters responding to the area sometimes have trouble identifying the source of the blaze, he said.
“It’s a common occurrence that the smoke will come on over, usually in our direction. It’s at times debilitating,” he told San José Spotlight. “Very routinely the fire department goes to try and find the fire and sometimes can’t, because it drops all the way down to the river bed.”
May said firefighters respond to such fires throughout the city at least three to four times per day.
Numerous South San Jose residents who live near Great Oaks Parkway told Councilmember Pamela Campos at a Jan. 27 meeting that firefighters are telling them encampment fires are draining their resources.
Residential fires caused $59.1 million in property damage last year, while business and building fires caused $76.8 million in property damage. But non-structure fires topped the list for most property damage in 2024 at $84.6 million, according to data provided by May.
“My team and I take public health and safety concerns, including fires and criminal activity, very seriously,” Campos told San José Spotlight. “While I am working ardently to identify and implement an interim solution, we must remain focused on providing permanent supportive housing and other safe, stable living environments for our community.”
Todd Langton, a homeless advocate and founder of nonprofit Agape Silicon Valley, said unhoused people choose to camp in areas where they will face the least resistance and possibility of being swept.
“Local governments should be finding a place for them to go, then abate,” he told San José Spotlight. “Instead, we’re just abating and people move under the railroad, or they move into somebody’s backyard or next to a school or wherever — they’re just moving around back and forth.”
Danny, a neighbor who only provided her first name for fear of retaliation from homeless residents, said whenever she drives along Great Oaks Boulevard propane tanks and gas canisters can be seen riddling the encampments.
Danny said city officials need to be vigilant and address the fire hazards posed by the encampments in light of the LA wildfires.
“If you look at the calls to the fire department, many of these fires in San Jose start from homeless encampments,” she told San José Spotlight. “This stretch has large trees purchased with tax dollars, and a few of them at least completely burned down. Many of them are on the verge of dying.”
Contact Vicente Vera at [email protected] or follow @VicenteJVera on X.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had an incorrect total for the number of non-structure fires in 2024.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.