California coastal city moves to arrest unpermitted campers in fire-risk zones

A popular Southern California coastal city unanimously approved an emergency declaration this week targeting unpermitted camping in fire-prone areas.

Resolution No. 25-49, approved on Monday, allows police to remove and arrest individuals engaged in unpermitted camping in very high fire hazard severity zones, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported.

“It is not enough to say we’ll work with the county to see what they can do to help find places for people to live that are camping in our hills where they are a fire hazard,” Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Silverstein, who proposed the enforcement amendment, told the Daily Press. “Anyone that’s not moving on as a result of that work should just be arrested and moved on involuntarily.”

The policy appears to be in opposition to the stance held by the county’s Board of Supervisors and sheriff, which is not to criminalize homelessness. The captain agreed to take the request ‘up the chain’ to his superiors, according to the Daily Press.

On Wednesday, the city of Malibu warned the public about dangerous fire conditions headed their way.

“For the coming week, we’ll see a continuation of the weather for the past two weeks, with mild temperatures in the 70s, low winds and very high humidity, putting our wildfire conditions at ‘Moderate to High,” the city’s post on X stated.

Residents were urged to prepare an emergency plan, including evacuation routes and reunification locations.