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An early-morning fire at the Fairview homeless encampment in Penticton, B.C., has reignited safety and property damage concerns.
Flames at the site next to Highway 97 broke out just before 7 a.m. No one was injured, according to the city, but a structure was destroyed.
It has nearby business operators on edge again.
“It’s just so dangerous, like you see giant flames,” said Luke Bradley, truck sales consultant at Inland Truck and Equipment. “Every time I see a fire like that I think, ‘Oh no, hopefully nobody was hurt.’”
Thursday morning’s fire is just the latest in a series of recent fires at the site, where at least five blazes have erupted since mid-January.
At the nearby Leisureland RV Centre, the owner has first-hand experience of where two trailers were destroyed by an encampment fire that spread last year.
An encampment fire last winter spread onto the RV property and destroyed two trailers.
“Financially, it’s $70 to $80,000 of worth of value,” said Brian Marsden, the owner of Leisureland RV. “And I’m still waiting to settle with the province on whether they’re going to pay for it or whether I have to go through ICBC and pay deductibles.”
The ongoing risks to property, the travelling public and the residents sheltering at the site have prompted the province, which owns the land, to take the encampment residents to court.
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The Minister of Transportation and Transit and the Attorney General of British Columbia jointly filed a civil lawsuit last month against “Jane Doe, John Doe and other unknown persons,” stating in the legal document that the number of those “unknown persons” is approximately 20-25 people.
The provincial government tried to clear the site last summer, issuing evacuation notices to people sheltering there at the time. Many left but not all, and the encampment eventually grew again.
This time, the province is turning to the courts to force the removal of the occupants and dismantle the site once and for all.
“It’s good to see, like, some positive steps to actually do something about the issue,” Bradley said.
B.C.’s housing minister told Global News social supports are being provided to those currently sheltering at the site and will continue to be offered should they have to move along.
“We have a number of rent supplements in place in the area and can help folks connect with those as well as connections to health services, social supports, food crisis management,” said Minister Christine Boyle.
“Our teams are working person by person to provide those supports. We have 123 shelter beds in the area. The winter shelter was extended year round with 10 more beds added.’
While business that have been on edge for some time want to see the encampment gone permanently, many say feel for the people that will be displaced.
“It’s sad,” Bradley said. “Where’s the next spot that they’re going to land? Because, you know, is there enough shelters? Is there enough detox, is there enough services for them to get better? Probably not.”
The matter is expected to go before a judge in Penticton Court later this month.
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