Brush Fire Investigation Still Underway, Appears Homeless-Related

PLAYA DEL REY, CA — A brush fire investigation in Playa del Rey is still underway and could be homeless-related and connected to a large encampment near the Ballona Wetlands, Los Angeles fire officials told Patch.

The brush fire on March 23 at 5701 Lincoln Blvd. reportedly started as a trash fire and burned five acres at the ecological reserve — some of the last remaining coastal wetlands in Los Angeles.

The damage was confined to the wetlands area near the Playa del Rey oil field storage facility, Loyola Marymount University, Facebook's Playa del Rey campus and a number of multi-million-dollar homes.

It took about two hours and 54 firefighters to knock down the flames, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Ground crews worked with water-dropping helicopters to hit the pockets of fire along the limited access area.

No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged. The area is a protected home to wildlife, including herons, egrets, white-tailed kite, lizards, butterflies, and many other speceies.

Lily Laykin is a Westchester resident who has lived in the area since 2014. Laykin described how the area has changed and how trash, debris left in the area near homeless encampments along Jefferson Boulevard has led to recent fires, including the brush fire last week.

"I have three kids, we love the area here, but unfortunately, our local parks are taken over by the homeless," Laykin told Patch. "The Ballona Wetlands yesterday was burned down, five acres, also due to the homeless, which was confirmed to me by a fire department official that I just spoke to."

Fire officials at the wetlands Wednesday said they were unable to access a fire hydrant on Jefferson Boulevard during the emergency due to a camper parked near it. The camper's battery was dead, packed behind a row of vehicles where unhoused people are living, Laykin said.

"Our city leaders need to do something about it," Laykin said.

The burn area is owned by the State Lands Commission, Marcia Hanscom of the Sierra Club told Patch. It is also one of the areas where documented nests have been discovered of the endangered songbird Least Bell's Vireo.

The Playa del Rey oil storage field is operated by Southern California Gas Company. Residents are demanding that Los Angeles leaders shut down the Playa del Rey oil storage facility located at the Ballona Wetlands before a blowout happens — and before it's too late.

The Culver City Council and Los Angeles City Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz have pressured SoCalGas to close its facility, saying that the area is heavily populated and the site could present danger for residents. It's been compared to Aliso Canyon, also known as Porter Ranch, where one of the largest gas blowout in the history of the U.S. happened.

The Playa del Rey oil storage facility used to be an active oil field with 29 active gas wells, including eight that were originally drilled in the 1930s. The field extends far beyond the borders of SoCalGas' property, beneath the wetlands, and all the way to the marina.

Ethan Senser from Food & Water Watch, a grassroots group pushing for clean energy policies and aiming to end oil drilling in residential neighborhoods, described why the call to close this site is growing.

"So the danger of gas migrating and causing a blowout or seeping up to the surface isn't just located or limited to SoCalGas' facility," Senser said. "It extends much further."

SEE MORE:

• Brush Fire Burns 5 Acres At Wetlands, Oil Field In Playa Del Rey
• Is It Time To Shut Down The Playa Del Rey Oil Storage Facility?