Homeless camp fire raises concerns during freezing weather

AUSTIN (KXAN)— In northwest Austin, firefighters battled a brush fire near a homeless encampment early Monday morning.

It was near the North U.S. Hwy. 183 service road near the Galleria Oaks Shopping Center. According to the Austin Fire Department, a dumpster fire spread to nearby fencing and trees.

Because of this, it has neighbors in one south Austin neighborhood worried another potential fire could start and spread to their homes with more freezing weather on the way.

Dozens of those homes are right across from a growing homeless camp off William Cannon Drive and Bluff Springs Road.

It's a camp that neighbors said keeps attracting more people experiencing homelessness.

"I don't really have much of a clue who lives here," Mori Leva said while walking along the street in her neighborhood. "I just know it's multiple people."

According to Leva, she and her family have lived on the block close to the camp off William Cannon Drive and Bluff Springs Road for over 20 years. She told KXAN people from the camp make their way into the neighborhood, including right across the street from where they live.

"It's squatters, yes," Leva said.

Ring security video from Leva's family captured chaos, including a massive fire in the front yard of the home across the street from hers.

"The fire department's come here multiple times," Leva said.

AFD was just called out to this same camp close to Leva's home over the weekend.

"We know oftentimes when people are living unsheltered, homeless in encampments, they are doing things like setting fires to try to stay warm," said David Gray, the city of Austin's homeless strategy officer.

Gray told KXAN that's why the city activated cold shelters this week with more freezing weather on the way, to try to prevent fires.

"We have street outreach staff who go out to various encampments to talk about fire safety and give out fire extinguishers," Gray said. "We just want neighbors to know that we're aware of the concerns. We hear you."

Gray said the camp in south Austin is on private property, which makes it more difficult for city staff to enforce rules.

"We've been working with our colleagues in the city's code enforcement department to engage with the property owner around the encampment on that private property, and we're going to continue to work the process prescribed in state law until we're able to get to a point in that process where the city can take more direct enforcement action," Gray said.

Leva said she's worried about her family's safety, and those who are living on the streets.

"It's just difficult," she said.