Rubbish fire breaks out Wednesday afternoon
By Sam Catanzaro
A fire broke out near the 405 Freeway-Venice Boulevard underpass homeless encampment Wednesday.
According to an LAFD spokesperson, the fire–described as a rubbish fire–was reported at 4:44 p.m. at on the 3700 block of Tuller Avenue, right off of Venice Boulevard, the location of a large homeless encampment.
According to the LAFD, the Culver City Fire Department also responded to the scene.
The fire was handled by one LAFD engine and no injuries were reported.
The LAFD says that an arson investigator was assigned to the scene but had no further information to report.
Westside Today has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department requesting more info, but the Department could not immediately be reached.
The fire is the latest fire to break out in a Westside homeless encampment. In Venice alone, six such fires were reported in less than a month between September and October.
In the wake of these fires, some of which are believed to be arson, Los Angeles City Council passed a motion calling for a $25,000 reward for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any acts of arson in Venice starting in September 2020.
According to the motion, reports indicate that the September 14 Rose-Penmar fire, and the September 15 Sunset-Hampton fire were set deliberately. There was also an attempt by someone to light a tent on fire near the Rose-Penmar encampment on September 21, the motion states. Additionally, residents of an encampment on Third Avenue report that some of their tents were doused by gasoline in the early morning hours of September 10.
