Hollywood Hills neighbors raise concerns about homeless encampment fires

CBS News

07-03-2025

A KCAL News investigation has found a troubling connection between the county's homeless population and a growing number of fire-related instances in recent years.
The news comes in the wake of a devastating January that saw several large wildfires erupt, including the Palisades and Eaton fires that combined to torch tens of thousands of acres, destroy thousands of homes and kill more than two dozen people.
One of those fires was the Sunset Fire, which broke out in the Hollywood Hills the day after the wildfires began to rage in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. That fire forced thousands to flee their homes when evacuation orders and warnings were issued, despite no structures burning from the intense flames.
Video from that night shows the firefighters' urgency as they called for residents to leave the area as soon as possible.
Homeowner Pete Boeschenstein said the entire ordeal gave him flashbacks to a similar incident two years ago.
"I mean, it makes it really real," he said. "We've had a couple of close calls."
Boeschenstein's home, located right above the Hollywood Bowl and below the Hollywood Cross, is just past where January's blaze erupted. It's also close to where another fire came dangerously close back in 2022.
He believes that fire is connected to an unhoused man who set up camp in the hills behind their homes.
He lives in a large campsite just underneath the Hollywood Cross. Neighbors have video of him around what appears to be a campfire, and despite neighbors going to both police and fire officials many times, he continues to return.
"Well, they both said ... basically our hands our tied, there's nothing we can do at this point and time. 'Call us when there's a fire,'" Boeschenstein said. "It was totally shocking."
Six days later, he woke up to the hillside on fire early in the morning.
"I was really scared, I was really nervous," Boeschenstein recalled.
Eventually, and several water-drops later, those flames were extinguished. Despite that blaze, the homeless man he had previously seen was neither arrested nor charged as investigators never connected him to the incident. LAPD arrested another unhoused man, but those charges were eventually dropped.
"I was frustrated, didn't make sense to me. Just one of those helpless feelings," he said.
Boeschenstein said that after that fire, the homeless man he knew was gone from the area for a while. But last year, neighbors noticed that he had returned, setting up his camp even farther into the hills, with a stunning view of the Hollywood Sign.
Neighbors have shown the camp to authorities, as they have over the years, showing several blackened spots that appear to have been used for fires. They've documented his comings and goings, including their countless calls reporting his actions.
"He can't be living back there, he can't be doing what he's doing, because it's putting all of us in danger," Boeschenstein said. He believes the system is broken and that more should be done when so many lives are at risk.
KCAL News' investigation finds this is a growing issue across Los Angeles County. Since 2019, the number of fires connected to a homeless person has increased by between two and three thousand incidents every year. In 2024, there were almost 17,000 fires attributed to the same cause across the entire city.
Local officials say that this trend is concerning.
"Our job is to minimize the chances of that happening," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Captain Geff Deedrick. He heads the county's outreach team to deal with the homelessness crisis.
He says they've responded to every call over the years, just like when the Sunset Fire broke out. Although he was not connected to that fire, the homeless man Boeschenstein was concerned about was eventually arrested for trespassing near Boeschenstein's home. Captain Deedrick says addressing the issue is tougher than it appears.
"Unless you have four walls, barring an individual from being in an area, it would require 24/7 manpower on a hill to ensure no one is there, and I'm not sure that's possible," Deedrick said.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says there's a bit more to be done when it comes to the legal realm, especially after his predecessor's term.
"The fact that nothing has happened over the last several years does not mean that we're not going to do something at this point and time," Hochman said.
He says that virtually no "quality of life crimes" were prosecuted during the tenure of previous D.A. George Gascón, which encompasses crimes like arson, trespassing, drug possession and loitering. In the four years he oversaw the District Attorney's Office, prosecutions for such crimes fell to around 25,000, a drop of nearly 90% from before he took over.
He urges residents to bring any concerns to law enforcement before things get out of hand.
"I say, 'Pete, please continue to bring anything you think of any particular concern to law enforcement's attention," Hochman said while passing a message to Boechenstein through KCAL News. "We will actually hold people accountable if they are violating the law."
Hochman said that this is a message he's already sent to the county's top law enforcement officials.
Sheriff Luna says it gives them more alternatives when it comes to handling alleged criminals, and ensuring proper justice is served. Los Angeles Chief of Police Jim McDonnell echoed that.
"It's great to be able to know when an arrest is made it'll get the appropriate level of review ... and consideration for filing if it meets the criteria," McDonell said. "Officers didn't feel they had that over the last several years."