By rssfeeds-admin The Chicago Fire Department responded to the encampment, which was located in a secluded area of Legion Park along the west bank of the North Shore Channel, just south of West Peterson Avenue in the city’s North Park neighborhood.
Firefighters battled heavy flames and smoke, and after the blaze was out, found multiple propane tanks, paint cans, and other flammable materials at the scene.
“We went over there to sort of take a look at what was going on. It was an incredibly scary and dangerous situation,” Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward) said. “The fire department had to use the hydrant that was pretty far from the actual fire. They ran about two blocks of hose just to get the water from the hydrant to the fire.”
Officials have not released the cause of Monday’s fire. According to Nugent, this is one of several fires that have taken place at this location, including another just a few weeks ago.
“This is such a dangerous location for the unhoused, the neighbors, and the first responders that are called to protect these folks when these fires erupt,” Nugent said.
Nugent said her office has been sounding the alarm on this encampment, which stretches between West Peterson and Bryn Mawr Avenues. In addition to the tents set up, people have also built wooden structures that resemble mini buildings.
A pile of debris was left behind after the blaze tore through some of the structures.
“We’ve been flagging this for the Mayor’s Office and Park District for some time, just how large this encampment is, how dangerous it is that they fence themselves in, and that it’s on this riverbank and the accessibility for our first responders to get in there,” Nugent said.
A statement shared Monday by the Chicago Park District with WGN-TV reads:
“The Park District is working to clean the debris from the fire. We are also working with the Alderwoman and DFSS on a more comprehensive cleaning of the encampment in Legion Park in the coming months.”
Officials with the Chicago Park District did not provide a timeline on when the encampment could be removed. Video from Skycam9 showed at least one person still walking around the area hours after the fire was put out.
WGN-TV was told outreach workers went to the area to speak with people living there on Monday, but that the individuals they spoke with declined services.
Residents living near Jersey and Thorndale Avenues, just outside the entrance to the park where firefighters responded, said they are fed up with the ongoing issues.
“The truth is that the neighbors don’t feel like they’re being heard. They feel like they play second fiddle to the folks that are living in the encampments,” Nugent said. “They have really valid concerns with respect to safety, accessibility of the park, cleanliness. There’s a lot of drugs, there’s alcohol, there’s propane tanks.
“This is about good use of the space for everybody, and this is also about the people living in the encampment. This isn’t safe for them. The encampments that I have in this ward are not safe, and the unhoused are not safe, and the park should be restored for the community.”
Resident Sam Lawando has lived in his home near the park for about eight years. He told WGN-TV he was home when the fire happened.
“I was watching, and this is terrible to see what’s going on. It never used to be like this, but now, I’m about to move out of here. Of course, if it’s going to be like this, I’m not gonna like it. Nobody likes it,” Lawando said.
He and several area residents said they have experienced issues with people hopping their fences and going into sheds behind their homes.
“We have kids, our kids cannot go outside and play beyond the park because they’re scared. We’re tired of it. It never used to be like this,” Lawando said. “Please do something about it.”
Nugent said she is grateful the city is preparing to take steps to remove the encampment, but is also advocating for ongoing support and resources for those facing homelessness.
“I think at the end of the day, the folks that are experiencing homelessness need to be in housing. They deserve that,” Nugent said. “We’re in the hottest of the hot days right now. It’s not safe for them and the community is scared. There’s been a lot of problems in these encampments, and they deserve the restoration of the parks back too.”
WGN-TV reached out to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), given that the encampment is located along the river.
A spokesperson for the agency shared the following statement:
“As a steward for the Chicago area waterways, the MWRD is always concerned about the protection of our waterways and the adjoining banks. The MWRD will work to ensure that if any debris from the fire entered the waterway that it is safely removed.”
Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.