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Homeless encampment fire damages storage facility in SLO

January 5, 2023

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A fire that likely started at a homeless encampment burned part of a storage unit in San Luis Obispo Wednesday evening.

Shortly before 8 p.m., a caller reported a fire at Meathead Mini Storage located at 3600 S. Higuera Street. A sprinkler system kept the blaze in check before firefighters arrived, according to the San Luis Obispo Fire Department.

Firefighters contained the blaze to a single storage unit and then extinguished it. The storage unit fire was likely caused by a blaze at a homeless encampment located behind Meathead Mini Storage, fire officials say.


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Sometimes, homeless people live in these units. That may have been the case here.


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These rains should hopefully be driving the homeless towards the shelters where they will hopefully stay realizing it’s a better option than the freezing cold streets! No drugs or alcohol allowed though; so, many will be back :/


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The shelters around here aren’t open year-round for just anyone to walk-in and stay at. Places like Prado and Echo aren’t shelters like you see in the movies (or in metropolitan cities) where homeless people line up outside and get a bed for the night any day of the week.


During the cold/rainy season, there are temporary “warming shelters” opened up at places like Prado and/or different local churches. But once the temperature lifts, the warming shelters are closed. Often the warming shelter is only setup for a day or two at a time. So they’re back on the streets the next day whether they want to stay or not.


The established shelters here (ex. Echo) have an application process and only a small amount of rooms. Those who are accepted into the “residency program” are assigned a case manager and are actively supported in getting back on their feet (finding work, finding a job, etc). The local shelters are more for higher functioning people/families who are down on their luck.


9